property ladder

noun

The hierarchy of owned housing.

“to get on the property ladder”

Meanings

nounproperty ladder (plural property ladders)

plural property ladders

  1. UKThe hierarchy of owned housing.

    to get on the property ladder

    3 more examples

    The slave, who is at the bottom of the human property ladder, had a hut and slave quarters, a little clothing, food, and perhaps some health care […]

    1989, Kenneth E. Boulding, Three Faces of Power

    The higher house price volatility in the United Kingdom makes it optimal for those young households who expect to move up the property ladder to hold housing equity.

    2004, David A. Wise, Perspectives on the Economics of Aging

    While some of these moves will be prompted by, for instance, releasing equity to help children get on the property ladder, David Fell, Hamptons' senior analyst, says many will probably be downsizing to reduce mortgage payments to a more manageable level.

    2023 November 25, Alexandra Goss, “Downsizers’ dilemma”, in FT Weekend (House & Home section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1
Cite this entry
APA

property ladder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/property%20ladder

MLA

“property ladder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/property%20ladder. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “property ladder,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/property%20ladder.

Source: property ladder on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.