A report by the Council of Mortgage lenders indicates that first-time buyer numbers reached their highest yearly total in five years in 2012.
The CML said that a total of 216,200 first-time buyers became homeowners in 2012, the first time the annual total has exceeded 200,000 since 2007.
2012 also saw a year-on-year rise of 12% on 2011 when 193,000 loans were advanced.