'I've put off starting a family due to cost of living'

A secondary school teacher in Surrey says she is holding off starting a family as she cannot afford to buy her own home.

Jade Watson spends £1,320 a month – more than a third of her monthly income – on renting a two-bedroom cottage with her partner just outside the centre of Godalming.

“Us putting down roots is being delayed because the cost of living is so expensive,” she said.

The Rentstart charity said the rental market was also becoming “increasingly unaffordable” across Surrey.

Ms Watson said she was unable to save for a house deposit despite no longer eating out and rarely going on holiday – an issue she said made her “hesitant” to start a family.

She said: “We are stuck in a cycle renting perpetually.

“Owning a house is something that we dream of and hope to be able to, but unfortunately, our living costs in the short term just make it impossible to save.

“My parents were able to buy their first house in their 20s.

"I’m almost mid-30s now and having my own home is no closer a reality than it was 10 years ago.”

Property rental prices have risen in nearby Walton-on-Thames more than anywhere else in the UK, according to property website Rightmove.

Data reveals there has been a 30% increase in the last year.

The average monthly price for renting a home has increased to £1,960 in 2024, compared with £1,503 in 2023.

Silvana Tracey, from Esher, had to take early retirement due to a medical condition, but said struggled to find somewhere affordable to rent.

“People like me who are unfortunately unable to work and are trying to rent a property, it is extremely difficult,” she said.

“The rental market is off the scale.”

Helen Watson, chief executive of Rentstart, blamed the rise in rental prices in Surrey on people moving to the area from London and private sector landlords leaving the market.

She said: “Across Elmbridge and wider into Surrey, it is becoming increasingly unaffordable.”

She said those on benefits were also at a further disadvantage.

“Some landlords are nervous about taking people on benefits, so they fall to the back of the queue,” she added.

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