Research reveals lack of first-time house buyers in UK

Only a quarter of people planning to buy a home in the UK next year will be first-time buyers - a share which is still well below the levels needed for a "healthy" market, research has found.

Almost a quarter (22%) of these buyers will have raised a deposit of less than 10% by the time they try to make a purchase, meaning their range of mortgage options and their access to the most competitive deals will be very restricted, 187,937 warned.