The picture is nuanced. Recent mortgage data shows that women are playing an increasingly significant role in the UK housing market, with more women applying for mortgages on their own than ever before. But affordability challenges continue to shape the types of homes women buy, and when they buy them.
Below, we explore how far things have come in 50 years, and what today’s numbers reveal about female homebuyers.
A brief look back: how things changed in 1975
Before 1975, many lenders refused mortgages to single women altogether, and even those with stable incomes often needed a husband or male family member to co-sign.
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 was a landmark piece of legislation introduced to make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their sex or marital status.
It applied to employment, education, and the provision of goods, services, and facilities. Its main purpose was to ensure that women and men had equal rights under the law.
The Act was passed under Harold Wilson’s Labour government following years of campaigning by women’s rights groups throughout the early 1970s. Their efforts built on the momentum of the Ford Dagenham strike of 1968, when female workers demanded equal pay, and on the Equal Pay Act of 1970, which came into force five years later.
(Peabody's development Dagenham Green is part of a plan to regenerate the 45-acre site that once housed the Ford Motor Company’s Stamping and Tooling Operations)
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 changed the landscape overnight by making it unlawful for banks and building societies to deny credit based on sex or marital status. For the first time, women could apply for a mortgage independently and have their income fully considered.
Are there more female buyers in the housing market today?
Yes - more women are applying for mortgages on their own in recent years.
Over the last five years, data from Mojo Mortgages shows a clear upward trend in female applicants .
- The proportion of sole female mortgage applicants has risen by around 14%.
- In 2020, 36% of all applicants were women; by 2024 this increased to over 41%.
When are women most likely to buy?
The most common age for women to buy a home is 25–34, making up:
- 58% of female first-time buyer applications, and
- 41% of female homebuyers overall.
Interestingly, nearly 1 in 10 female first-time buyers from recent years are aged 45–54, showing it’s increasingly possible to get onto the ladder later in life.
What types of homes are women buying?
Women tend to buy lower-priced properties compared to men, largely due to affordability differences linked to the gender pay gap.
In 2024:
- Nearly 83% of female applicants applied for mortgages between £1 and £200,000.
- Women were significantly less likely than men to purchase homes above £800,000.
Women also borrow slightly less on average: most female applicants take out mortgages between £50,000 and £200,000 - aligning with the UK’s wider borrowing averages.
What the data shows for Peabody New Homes and female Shared Ownership buyers
At Peabody New Homes, our own data tells an encouraging story in the London Shared Ownership market.
Looking solely at single applicants since 2015, women consistently make up around half of all solo buyers of 1-bed homes, with an average of 52% female purchasers since 2021.
Several years stand out, such as 2019, when 62% of single buyers were women, and 2025 to date, where women account for 53%.
This sustained presence suggests that Shared Ownership is particularly attractive for women who want to enter the London property market independently.
The lower deposit requirements, accessible purchase prices make Shared Ownership a key route into homeownership for both men and women buying alone.
50 Years On: What’s the impact today?
Compared to 1975, the UK housing market is almost unrecognisable. Women now have full legal, financial and practical access to mortgage products - and the statistics show women now account for over 40% of all mortgage applications, a significant rise and proof of the long-term impact of equality legislation.
However, challenges remain. The affordability gap - driven by pay disparities, slower savings rates, and rising house prices - means that women still face greater barriers when buying alone, particularly as first-time buyers.
FAQs: Women and the housing market 50 years on from the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Yes. Recent mortgage data shows a clear upward trend, with women now making up over 41% of sole mortgage applicants.
Women aged 25 to 34 are the most active buyers, representing 58% of female first-time buyers and 41% of female homebuyers overall. There’s also a growing number of first time buyers aged 45 to 54.
No. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 has been replaced by the Equality Act 2010, which consolidated and updated anti-discrimination laws in the UK. However, the principles of the 1975 Act remain foundational.
