The research revealed that people with a non-visible and/or visible disability are more worried about others thinking they are not capable of buying a property when asking questions. 68% of people with a condition that impacts their mobility cite fears of being perceived as incapable of completing the home-buying process. 49% of people with a disability polled described themselves as absolutely baffled by the home-buying process.
Charlotte Harrison, Head of Mortgage Products at Skipton Building Society, comments: “It’s really shocking to see how many people with a disability feel embarrassed or uncomfortable during the home buying process.
“Making sure everyone feels at ease when looking to buy a home is something we continually prioritise. We have been involved with Purple Tuesday for a number of years and are continually exploring new ways to support our customers, particularly those with disabilities or long-term conditions.”
Skipton’s research also uncovers that 27% of those who bought their first home in the last 20 years were worried about feeling stupid or ignorant every time when speaking to professionals in the home-buying process. This rises to 47% of adults with a disability feeling worried every time when speaking to estate agents, brokers, or solicitors.
People with a disability are also more likely to ask someone to answer questions on their behalf, such as a family member, with 48% calling on others for help compared to just 23% of first-time buyers who don’t identify as having a disability.
Further, people with a disability in the UK on average took longer to buy their first home compared to those who do not have a disability, with those who identify as having a disability taking an average of 5.72 months to complete their purchase, compared to those who do not have a disability taking 4.97 months.
Harrison concludes: “It’s important we continue our efforts to make the home buying process as accessible as possible. We have an expert team on hand to answer any questions people may have, including the option of SignVideo, which is completely free to those customers who wish to use it, and allows them the communicate with the team using British Sign Language. Buying your first home should be a memory you look back on with a smile, not one that makes you feel embarrassed.”
