ACCORDING to Zoopla's recent research UK homeowners are expecting house prices to rise by 4.5 per cent over the next six months – a sign of significant confidence returning to the housing market.
Couple this with other research from Zoopla that reveals the number of properties currently for sale that have been reduced in price since first coming onto the market has fallen to its lowest level in almost three years, and we have a positive picture emerging.
Despite this, buyers are, in some instances, struggling to secure a mortgage.
Here are eight handy tips to get you on the right track:
Speak to a good independent mortgage broker about what is available and what you can afford, then get all of your financial documents in place. These include pay slips, bank statements and contracts of employment – the vital pieces of paper that are only ever found by rummaging around in cardboard boxes at 11pm at night.
"I strongly recommend buyers – in particular first timers – get their mortgage agreed in principle before starting to look," says John Phillips, director of financial services at Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward. "Having this in place will mean that you know for certain how much money you can borrow to and you can get the process of purchasing moving quickly.
"With such a competitive marketplace for first time buyers, doing your homework, having your documents in place and being able to agree your mortgage quickly will give you the best chance possible against the competition."
Ashley Brown, director of independent mortgage brokers Moneysprite, suggests performing a credit record MOT.
He said: "Check and clean up your credit record. Also, if you're not registered on the electoral roll that can seriously hamper your chances of getting a home loan.
"When a lender does a search on an applicant and discovers they aren't on the electoral register, their immediate reaction is to wonder why and whether they might be hiding something".
Talk to your parents, known for the purposes of this article as the Bank of Mum and Dad. We don't need to tell you how insanely difficult it is to save for a deposit and if your parents can't help with cold hard cash they may be able to use the equity in their home – speak to your broker about this – or act as a guarantor.
"Some lenders also offer deals where parents use their own savings to reduce the deposit required," added Brown.
Get a credit card. Having no credit history makes lenders twitchy – best to use a credit card and repay in full each month so you can prove you can manage credit responsibility.
Don't go over your overdraft limit for your current account for at least three months if possible – show you're in control of your finances, which means no bounced cheques.
If you're self-employed, be prepared to be treated as a second-class citizen by the banks, who haven't yet caught on to the notion of freelance employment as being a viable model.
It's likely you'll need to provide more paperwork and answer even more questions. As a rule of thumb, you'll need to show that you've been gainfully self-employed for two to three years before a bank will even consider you – a good mortgage broker who knows the best pro-self employed banks to approach will be worth their weight in gold.
Don't get trigger happy and keep applying for mortgages. If you do over a short space of time, these applications can impact on your all-important credit rating.
