To expect to buy first house in the next 6-12months?

[wovengrass]

I need a bit of a vent because I feel very uncertain at the moment. My fiance and I moved back in with my parents to save for a (10% -15%) house deposit, we have managed to save 18k so far, from our 25k goal and had planned to move out just after Christmas. We are now stuck in an awkward situation, as we didn't plan to be with my parents for longer than 12months, but the unforeseen circumstances around the housing market, mainly the withdrawal of high LTV mortgages, has thrown us.
My parents are very understanding of the situation, however my sister is not, and I am feeling very 'judged' being at home with my partner at the moment, so the pressure is on.
My partner's job also seems to be hanging in the balance at the moment, as business closure has hit the company he works for hard.

We were hoping to buy a house anywhere from 130k-165k, although our salary made us eligible for a £220k mortgage (pre-covid). We live in the north so house prices are reasonable.

I understand that nobody has a crystal ball when it comes to the future, and this could very well be a blessing in disguise, but is anyone 'property savvy' who can offer some advice? Do you think it is reasonable to expect that after Christmas things will have calmed down again, or is this going to be something that takes much, much longer.
I don't want to end up trapped again in the cycle of renting, or be a burden to my family.

Thanks for reading.

You just need to keep an eye on prices in your areas for the next few months. I thought prices might fall significantly but now nobody seems certain. If you can afford to go for a better house in a better area then do but dont go in over your heads. People are waiting to see what happens next with prices so keep your eyes open.

Ha, in three weeks' time me, my DP and DD are moving in with my parents for a maximum of 12 months in order to maximise our savings before buying a house.

I think prices will drop in the autumn. Although it's going to be awful for a lot of people, for us first time buyers it's a blessing, as long as we can get a mortgage of course.