British students are increasingly shunning a gap-year in order to boost their savings accounts, new research has found.
Abbey Mortgages says that 42 per cent of students have already started to save money towards a deposit on their first home .
Whereas only 19 per cent say they are saving to go travelling .
The number of students now saving towards their first home is six times higher than the figure among those who graduated in the last ten years.
Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, head of Abbey Mortgages, said: "House prices have brought a harsh new reality for students.
"They now need to weigh up the benefits of travelling against jumping straight into a career and being able to afford to get onto the property ladder ."
Research carried out by the Building Societies Association last year found that raising a deposit was the biggest barrier to first time buyers .
Other stumbling blocks for would be first time buyers included stamp duty and legal fees .
