A QUARTER of young married couples want to buy their own home but claim they cannot afford to do so, research showed.

One in four couples who are currently living in rented accommodation say they cannot get on to the property ladder, with just 13 per cent claiming to be in a position to buy somewhere, according to Alliance & Leicester.

A further 55 per cent of married couples said they had no thoughts about buying their own place at the moment.

The situation is even worse for people who are single, with 26 per cent saying they want to get on to the housing ladder but cannot afford to, while just 6 per cent think they could now buy a property.

Just one in five young single people owns their own home, with 40 per cent living in rented accommodation and 37 per cent still living at home with their parents.

Stephen Leonard, director of mortgages at Alliance & Leicester, said: "Living at home with parents provides many with a great opportunity to save towards a deposit on their first home. Our research indicates a trend towards more men in their 20s staying at home with their parents than moving out."

People in their 30s are most likely to want to get on to the property ladder but be unable to afford to, with 39 per cent of people claiming to be in this position.

Around 58 per cent of first-time buyers are looking to spend less than £120,000 on their first home, up from 48 per cent during the previous quarter, despite the fact that the average UK property now costs £144,509. Those in their 20s plan to spend the least on their first property, with 69 per cent hoping to secure somewhere for less than £120,000.