Yet all is not lost, says Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients. ‘There are plenty of schemes and lenders with options available to help people achieve their dream of home ownership,’ he adds. Raising a deposit and meeting strict affordability checks are the biggest hurdles for first-time buyers. But a surge in saving over lockdown, as families spent less, has helped many raise chunkier downpayments. And with the boom in homeworking, some younger buyers may be able to look beyond costly major cities. Here, Money Mail outlines the help on offer for first-time buyers searching for a home of their own.