'All options should be considered' when buying first home

Scottish first-time buyers should be sure to assess all their options when looking to buy their first property, if one mortgage advice firm is to be believed.

Alexander Hall, a UK mortgage broker company, has stated that first-time buyers should be sure to assess several factors when looking into a new property.

For example, the way in which house price changes could affect the decision in the long-term should be considered, as well as their own personal circumstances, Andy Pratt, a spokesperson for the organisation said.

How long the buyer intends to remain in the property should also be a consideration, he added.

"The one really, really important thing that first-time buyers need to understand is that they should look at the options," Mr Pratt commented.

It has been estimated that house prices will fall a further 15 per cent in the next two years in a report from Morgan Stanley.