The Parent Trap: how millions of UK parents feel 'trapped' into living near grandparents

With grandparents stepping in to help reduce the cost of childcare, millions of parents are finding themselves feeling trapped in locations close to granny and granddad.

UK parents are stuck in a ‘parent trap’ and feel forced to live near to their children's grandparents in order to get help with childcare, according to our latest research.

Our data of 2,000 UK parents with children under the age of 13, found that half (50%), live less than five miles from their child’s nearest grandparent and seven in 10 (68%) live within a 30 minute journey.

Yet this may not always be by choice. More than half (57%) rely on childcare support from at least one grandparent (rising to 72% of those living within 30 minutes of their nearest grandparent).

Average family receives over £4,600 of free childcare from grandparents

The average family relies on nine hours of grandparent childcare support a week, equating to 468 hours per year. With parents estimating they spend £9.90 per hour on childcare (including nursery, babysitting, summer camps etc), this is worth a whopping £4,633.20 of free childcare annually, at a time when costs are already spiralling.

With nursery costs now higher than the average UK monthly mortgage*, it’s not surprising that many parents are reliant on the ‘nursery of grandma and grandpa’.

However, the flip side is that over half (52%) of parents who receive childcare support from grandparents say they now feel ‘trapped’ when it comes to where they live.

A key reason for this was financial restrictions, with 36% of parents who have grandparent support saying they could not afford to be without it as professional childcare would be too expensive.

Parents would need to earn £8,000-a-year more to forgo free childcare

This support is particularly crucial for parents who have children under school age. Although 18% of parents in this category who receive more than 10 hours a week of grandparent support say that they prefer grandparents looking after their children, the financial stretch required to swap to professional childcare is clear for the remaining 82%.

These parents believe they would need to increase their personal incomes by an average of £8,055 a year in order to be able to forgo free childcare.

Many are even having to put their own home owning aspirations on hold to get free childcare support.

Parents unable to afford larger homes near grandparents

More than four in 10 (44%) of parents feeling trapped would like to move to a larger home, but prices are not affordable in the area they need to be in order to receive grandparent support.

A quarter (24%) say that they would like to move to a different area but can’t as they need to remain near their parents.

Some are even being prevented entirely from getting on the housing ladder, with almost a third (29%) of those who get grandparent support saying that they would like to buy somewhere but are having to rent in order to stay near to their parents or parents-in-law.

20% of parents choose to move nearer grandparents

Whilst some put their moving aspirations on hold, others make a conscious decision to move closer to grandparents after having children.

Nearly two in five (19%) parents said that, since having children, they had moved closer to grandparents, whilst 11% are currently planning to move.

Over the summer holidays, grandparents increase their weekly support by 26% - from 9 hours a week on average to 11.3 hours weekly.

Some parents even admit to asking their parents or parents-in-law if they will move closer to help with childcare support.

Of all the parents surveyed, 28% had discussed moving homes with their children’s grandparents to be closer for childcare reasons. Of those, a notable 31% have had a parent or parent-in-law move house to be closer to help with childcare.

Parents agreed that on average, around seven miles away was the ideal distance to live from a grandparent - close enough to be on hand for regular support, but far enough away that they would not drop in constantly and unannounced.

The research also showed that many parents make do with little to no familial support, with 32% receiving no childcare support from grandparents or any further relations.

Our Consumer Expert Daniel Copley says: “As a parent, I know first-hand how expensive childcare can be, and how valuable family support is. As such, many Brits feel that they are trapped when it comes to where they live, with it being vital that grandparents are nearby to help out.

“This is leaving many in the tricky spot of not being able to afford to buy a place close to their parents, forcing them to rent when they might otherwise be able to get on the housing ladder. Or simply living in an area they don’t really want to live in.

“My advice would be to have open and honest conversations with grandparents about the support they are prepared to offer, and how far they would be willing to travel. Zoopla’s travel time tool can then show all the properties that are within that distance. Equally, grandparents may be amenable to moving. Many may be looking to move to a smaller home, or free up some of the equity in their home to fund their retirement, and moving to a more affordable location may work for them as well.”

* Research conducted by Mortar Research in June 2024 amongst 2,047 UK parents with kids under the age of 13.

Key takeaways

• More than half (57%) of UK parents rely on their children’s grandparents for childcare support, with the average family receiving 468 hours of free childcare a year, worth over £4,600
• This is leading to over half (52%) of reliant parents feeling ‘trapped’ into living nearby their children’s grandparents
• Housing aspirations are being prevented by the ‘parent trap’ - with four in 10 (44%) unable to move to a bigger home because of affordability within proximity of grandparents
• To help, we have a range of tools, from our travel time tool to the new, AI-powered personalised listing recommendations which match users with suitable properties based on their recent site behaviour, to help parents finds their ideal home

by Blackstones

General election 2024: What does each party’s manifesto say about housing?

We've compared the housing policies of the major political parties so you don’t have to.

The general election is nearly here, and all the major political parties have now released their manifestos. Of course, we’re particularly interested in what each political party has to say about housing, but there’s a lot to compare and get your head around.

That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you - breaking down the housing policies of the Conservatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats so you can easily compare their pledges in each area.

What are the political parties’ policies on housing?

Key takeaways

• All three parties pledge to ban no-fault evictions for renters
• All three parties pledge to reform or end the leasehold system
• All three parties pledge to build at least 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament

by Blackstones

What income do you need to buy a home in 2024?

The required income to buy a home has increased in recent years. But what does that mean in real numbers? And where is the most affordable place to buy in the UK?

Affordability is one of the greatest barriers facing people looking to buy a home. We talk a lot about deposits, but the household income needed to finance a mortgage is an equally important factor. This is because income levels are used to assess the affordability of a mortgage through the loan-to-income assessment.

First-time buyers tend to have lower deposits than existing owners who may be looking to buy a larger home. Typically, the higher the deposit, the lower the income needed to buy.

Data shows that the typical first-time buyer (FTB) takes a mortgage that is 3.3x their household income. Existing homeowners looking to move take out mortgages that average 3x their household income.

Using these average loan-to-income ratios, and the average asking price of homes for sale on Zoopla, we can calculate the household income needed to buy a home for FTBs and existing owners.

A FTB looking to buy a typical first home (priced at £250,000), with an average 20% deposit, would need an annual household income of £60,600 in order to buy. This figure is £2,400 higher than a year ago.

Those upsizing to an average-priced home currently on the market (priced at £335,000), with a larger average deposit of 35%, would need a household income of £72,600. This is £3,400 higher than a year ago.

The average UK household income is currently £33,300, according to the ONS. This means that two average earners buying together have a household income of £66,600, which is enough to buy a typical first-time buyer home. However, homeowners on the same income are likely to struggle to upsize to an averagely-priced UK home without a bigger deposit.

First-time buyers need two average salaries to buy

First-time buyers often buy with smaller deposits - 20% on average - according to ONS. To help make buying affordable, FTBs tend to look for cheaper properties. For example, the average asking price of a home chosen by a first-time buyer is 34% lower compared to the market average.

The income a first-time buyer will need in order to buy is closely linked to the value of homes in the area. FTBs in northern England and Scotland require lower earnings compared to those in the Midlands, Wales or southern England.

Those looking to buy their first home in the North East require the lowest income to buy in the UK. A typical FTB home in the region costs £120,000, which requires an income of just under £29,100 in order to buy. In areas such as Hartlepool, homes priced around £80,000 are most popular with FTBs. Although homes sold at this price point are typically fixer-uppers or small flats, the household income needed to buy these types of properties is only £19,400.

At £31,500, Scotland has the second-lowest required income for first-time buyers. And in areas such as Ayrshire, savvy folks can buy with a household income of under £20,000.

Back in England, the further south you go, the more you need to earn in order to buy. The average first home in the Midlands is priced below £200,000, meaning the required income is below £49,000. And in southern England, the average income to buy ranges between £33,900 in Great Yarmouth to a whopping £193,900 in Kensington and Chelsea.

Upsizing homeowners need an income of £72,600 to buy

Those looking to move up the next rung of the ladder will find that a higher house price will need a higher income to buy. The average asking price of a home currently listed for sale on Zoopla is £335,000. Homeowners looking to buy such a home with a 35% deposit will need an income of £72,600.

Those planning to buy an averagely-priced home in northern England need a household income between £31,400 (Blackpool and Hull) and £78,000 (Trafford in Manchester).

A homeowner upsizing to an average home in Scotland  (£200,000) would require a household income of £43,300. Yet, the income needed to buy can range from £27,100 in East Ayrshire to £62,800 in the East Lothian area.

Those buying in the Midlands or Wales will typically need a household income above £54,000. However, upsizers won’t be as required to earn as much in locations such as Blaenau Gwent (£32,500), Stoke-on-Trent (£39,000), Bolsover (£46,600) and Boston (£46,600).

Upsizers in the south of the country will need a household income higher than the income of two average earners, which currently stands at £66,600. This is down to higher house values, with asking prices commonly exceeding £300,000.

However, home owners buying in smaller cities in the south may require a lower income. House prices in cities such as Plymouth (£52,000), Norwich (£54,200), Peterborough (£56,300), Portsmouth (£57,400) and Southampton (£58,500) offer more opportunities to buy on a smaller income.

Those upsizing in London will need the highest level of income in Britain - £124,600 on average. However, our analysis shows that those looking to buy an averagely-priced home in East London (Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Newham) and South East London (Croydon, Lewisham, Bexley) will need an income below £100,000.

Why are the required incomes to buy so high in 2024?

The required income to buy has increased by 4% over the last year largely due to higher asking prices and a slight decline in the loan-to-income ratio.

To adapt to this, buyers can put down a larger deposit to reduce the size of the mortgage. If this isn’t an option, a more practical solution could be to look further afield by extending your search area, or consider other types of property.

Our data shows that relatively few first-time buyers are changing what they want from a property as they balance home ownership with complex family needs. The key route to getting more value for money is to widen the search radius and consider more markets.

We find that 2 in 5 buyers in southern England are looking further than a 10 mile radius to find their next home due to the affordability pressures of the region.

Key takeaways

• The average first-time buyer (FTB) needs an income of £60,600 to buy a home - the equivalent of two average UK salaries
• An existing home owner looking to upsize needs a household income of £72,600 to buy an averagely-priced home
• The required income to buy has increased by £2,400 for FTBs and £3,400 for upsizing home owners over the last year
• The most affordable areas to buy on lower incomes are in northern England and Scotland

by Blackstones