Abbey has become the latest lender to try and make affording a home more feasible with the announcement that it is launching a set of products aimed at first time buyers.

Affordability concerns are of course still a major issue when it comes to buying a home, with recent reports demonstrating just how far some potential homeowners are prepared to go – taking on 100 per cent plus mortgages, paying as much as six times their salary and so on.

But Abbey has said that its offers, which remove the need for valuation and legal fees, can make getting onto the property ladder that bit easier.

"With no valuation fee and no legal fees, along with competitive rates, these products offer exceptional value as a solution for movers who find they are shelling out left, right and centre on expenses relating to their move," commented Abbey head of mortgages Nici Audhlam-Gardiner.

In contrast to recent tendencies, Abbey has previously stated that its borrowers favour shorter fixed-term offers rather than the long-term deals currently being talked up by the government.