Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp has suggested students should think about living at home during their years at university to help save for a house deposit.
The 51-year-old TV star was speaking to former Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Ruth Davidson in an interview for Times Radio when the she opened up about the difficulties that the current generation have in saving enough money to buy a house.
During the discussion, Kirstie attributed things such as the differential between average wage and house prices and the "very badly broken" transaction system in the UK that young people face in the current climate.
She explained how house prices in 1961 equated to two and half times the average wage, whereas that figure has risen to eight times the average salary in 2022.
Although admitting that it is difficult, Kirstie insisted that saving as much as you can as early as you can is always a benefit and she looked at students as a prime example.
She said: "Is there ever a good time to buy? If the one favour you can do to yourself is to think about it early, as early as you possibly can.
"If you choose to go to university near your home and you spend those three years living at home, if you're able to do that, and it's a big sacrifice to do that but it can make an enormous difference.
"There are all sorts of different things that you can do to enable you to save that deposit.
"I mean we have a weird, weird relationship with property in the UK where we think everybody wants to buy.
"There are some people who don't, they don't want the responsibility. They want to be able to make rapid lifestyle changes and they want to rent. That is now incredibly difficult as well. But for those who do want to buy, it's very hard."
The property expert came under heavy criticism earlier this year for suggesting that young people should give up their luxuries if they were serious about owning a home in the current climate.
Kirstie said that if hopeful homeowners were serious about saving, they would let go of their Netflix and gym subscriptions - and stop wasting money on buying coffees out of the house.
Speaking to Sunday Times, Kirstie revealed that she felt 'enraged' when she hears young people complain that they can't afford to buy a house these days due to the fact they are not disciplined enough to let go of their luxuries.
"When I bought my first property, going abroad, the EasyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn't exist," she said.
"I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday I'd go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy a lipstick."
She added: "There are loads of people who can do it and don't. It is hard. We've fallen into the trap of saying it's impossible for everybody. It's about where you can buy, not if you can buy. There is an issue around the desire to make those sacrifices.
"Ask yourself, could you get a job, live at home with your parents for three years, and save every penny for a deposit? I’ve seen people do it. They make enormous sacrifices. It’s not impossible for everybody."
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