Nearly half (49%) of non-home owners do not expect that they will ever own a home.

But some would be prepared to emigrate if it meant they could become home owners.

A study by Santander Mortgage reveals that 1.1m (7%) would consider emigrating, while 9% would be willing to move jobs or relocate somewhere else in the UK to get a foot on the ladder, rising to 23% of 18 to 24-year-olds.

Of those surveyed, the majority were willing to reduce their standard of living by buying cheaper food and going out less (20%), or sacrifice non-essential purchases, for example a car or a holiday (20%), to help save for a deposit.

A quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds live with their parents to help them save, while 6% who have already left home would be prepared to go back.

Nearly 2,000 people were polled.

Similar research by flatshare website SpareRoom has found that 18% of tenants do not expect they will ever own their own home – rising to 49% among 40-year-olds.

Half of tenants (49%) spend between 30% and 50% of their take-home pay on rent; more than a fifth (23%) spend more than half their salary on rent.

Londoners and Scots are the most likely to spend over half their take-home earnings on rent – 25% of Londoners say this is the case for them, and 23% of Scots say the same.

Almost three in ten tenants (29%) now consider their rent unaffordable.

SpareRoom’s research was with over 10,000 of its users.