Scotland first-time buyer mortgage sales rise to 33,513 in 2025 as median LTV hits 89.7%

Scotland recorded 33,513 first-time buyer mortgage sales in 2025, up 9.1% on 2024, while the typical first-time buyer loan covered a larger share of the purchase price than in any other UK nation, according to official figures published yesterday.

The Office for National Statistics released its Mortgage statistics, UK: 2025 bulletin on 18 September 2026, drawing on Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Product Sales Data. The Scotland first-time buyer count rose from 30,710 in 2024 and 26,766 in 2023 — a 25.2% increase over two years.

For Scottish buyers saving a deposit, the standout figure is leverage. The median loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on Scotland first-time buyer mortgages reached 89.65% in 2025, above the UK median of 85.62%. Among UK countries, Scotland’s first-time buyer LTV was the highest, ahead of Wales (88.89%), England (85.33%) and Northern Ireland (85%). Several Scottish local authorities clustered near a 90% median LTV, including Falkirk, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. City of Edinburgh and Aberdeen City were lower, at around 85%.

Higher LTV means a thinner deposit relative to the price paid. It does not by itself say whether monthly repayments are affordable: that depends on the interest rate, the loan size and income. On income gearing, Scotland first-time buyers still borrowed less aggressively than the UK average. The median loan-to-income (LTI) ratio in Scotland was 3.06 in 2025, compared with 3.62 across the UK.

The median purchase price on Scotland first-time buyer mortgages was £170,000 in 2025 (UK £240,000), with a median loan of £137,745 (UK £195,720). The median age of Scotland first-time buyer mortgagors was 30, one year younger than the UK median of 31.

Glasgow City (4,785) and the City of Edinburgh (4,353) led Scotland’s local authorities for first-time buyer mortgage sales in 2025. South Lanarkshire, Fife and North Lanarkshire followed. Island authorities recorded the smallest counts.

Across all mortgage sales (first-time buyers plus home movers, excluding remortgages), Scotland completed 64,726 deals in 2025, up from 60,217 in 2024. First-time buyers accounted for about 51.8% of Scotland’s mortgage sales, close to the UK share of 52.8%.

These ONS/FCA figures are annual calendar-year totals of completed mortgage sales. They are not the same series as UK Finance’s Scotland Mortgage Factsheet (already covered for Q2 2026) and they exclude cash purchases. The ONS also notes that the FCA’s first-time buyer flag can include some borrowers who have owned property before but are not selling another home on this purchase.

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Scotland first-time buyer mortgage sales rise to 33,513 in 2025 as median LTV hits 89.7%

Sources