First-time buyers 'should look before they leap onto the housing ladder'

Scottish first-time buyers may be left in a negative equity position if they try and rush onto the housing ladder, if one organisation is to be believed. Iammoving.com has claimed that first-time buyers should adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach to house buying, in that they should gauge the developments in the market before they make a purchase. Peter Beckett, business development director of the company, said: “If you rush into something now, you could find yourself in a negative equity position, having borrowed in order to be able to afford to secure the property in the first place.” Mr Beckett suggested taking out a loan within the family, using savings or inheritance as advisable ways of funding a first property. In addition, he suggested making the commitment in conjunction with someone else in order to ease the burden. Meanwhile, research from Iammoving.com has revealed that one in three first-time buyers are gambling on their house purchases by taking out unsecured loans and using credit cards for deposits.