Are you a key worker? Have you had difficulties finding somewhere affordable to live? How much are banks or building societies prepared to lend you? Is it enough?

Do you work in a city centre but have to commute from miles away because it would be impossible to afford somewhere closer? Have you been forced to move out of London?

Did you have to buy a house or flat with friends to share the cost? Are you afraid that you will never be able to afford to buy your own place?

Send us your stories and experiences using the form on the right hand side.

I've been waiting to buy a property for five years now. Every year that goes by, it becomes more difficult. I am in a fairly well paid job (around �30k per annum) and simply cannot afford anything in my area (Greater London). How do people on lower salaries manage I have no idea! My only option would be to move way out of London, like Oxford or the South Coast, but the daily commute to work, with increasing fuel prices, would work out around �15 per day! I don't know what to do anymore...
Alan Marchal, Uxbridge, UK

We were priced out, several years ago when we lived in Surrey, then went through a series of job changes and relocations, eventually ending up as a contractor in Bristol, & living in Melksham. Why so far out? Don't like cities, and the other areas nearer (bath, Bradford-on-avon) were too exepensive for what we wanted to pay out in rent. We currently rent a small 3 bed semi for �575 a month. To buy it would cost well over �150,000. Working out how much that would cost us, even if we were able to find someone to lend us such an enourmous amount of money, in repayments would be nearer �900 a month at current interest rates, plus there is maintanence and insurance costs on top!! We have decided to sit tight still and await a crash.
Christopher Cook, Melksham, Wiltshire

5 years out of university I knew the market was going to accelerate (and be allowed to) much faster than earnings or buying power. I'd had enough of the two tiered system, i.e. the people buying a 3rd and 4h house to rent to those who couldn't afford to get on the ladder. So I moved to Vancouver, Canada, best thing I ever did !
Jeremy, Hampshire now Canada

I have an excellent deposit of �35,000 but as an NHS Worker on a basic before overtime of �14,000 per year I cannot get a mortgage unless I am offered 5 times my salary at least! Even then, in my area, I can only just scrape enough for an an ex-council studio flat which would cost around �105k. There are plenty of young people out there on �14k per annum or thereabouts and without good deposits, I ask myself what hope is there for us? KeyWorker Housing will be my only option, but then I can only own a percentage of the property and it's not like having the choice of buying your own. Even keyworker housing will be tricky on my salary. My true feeling on this subject, is that when even ex-council studio flats are out of price range, something has gone very very wrong. The rich and poor divide will become even more apparent. Quite simply, those that purchased before 2002 are ok and those that are looking now are in real trouble. What can be done? I am at a loss on this on! e. Good luck to all those finding it difficult.
ROB SWAYLE, St Albans, Hertfordshire

I have had to rent from my colleague who has bought a flat in a new housing development. He is married with a family and their household has two incomes. Renting furnished was still cheaper than a mortgage on the same property. I am grateful to my colleague. I believe that while I am earning over �20000 a year it should be easier to buy a home without having to be in a relationship first. My own home would give a lot more confidence in my personal life, because I would feel more secure and stable for the future. I am actually considering leaving the UK to find better options.
Dave, Middlesbrough, UK

Me and my family are coming from eastern Europe. We are both highly educated and working in our professions. When we planed to move in UK London was not an option at all - you guess, because of the house prices. We moved in the area where the house prices are among lowest in UK. Still, with both of us working (above average salaries) we can hardly afford anything normal for 4 member family. Of course we can stretch ourselves as the lenders would give us as much money as we want, but that is not how it should be! We do not want to give 60% of our net income for mortgage payments - that is not how it should be. We are surprised how standard of living become low in UK (you can compare it to most of the countries in eastern Europe) - mainly due to extremely high house prices. I am also surprised that common people in UK can not see that and do something about that. Basically, with prices this high I will never go for house (although I could afford) as everything that goes up that high has to come down. Soon or later.
Bobo

I've been waiting to buy a property for five years now. Every year that goes by, it becomes more difficult. I am in a fairly well paid job (around �30k per annum) and simply cannot afford anything in my area (Greater London). How do people on lower salaries manage I have no idea! My only option would be to move way out of London, like Oxford or the South Coast, but the daily commute to work, with increasing fuel prices, would work out around �15 per day! I don't know what to do anymore...
Alan Marchal, Uxbridge, UK

I first bought several years ago and it wasn't easy then, I went without many things holidays, social events and other luxuries etc in order to save enough (whilst still paying rent) so that I could buy my own home. It wasn't just given to me, I had choices to make and now I'm sick of hearing about how "I can't afford it", often (though not always) from people who don't want to give up, booze, fags, and holidays etc in order to save for a deposit. Well thats just life, I'd like a nice new car but it will have to wait till I've saved enough money, I can't just bleat on about it and expect someone else to pick up the bill. Whilst home ownership is what many people aspire to it traditionally hasn't been the norm until fairly recently. I agree that prices have gone mad, and that house prices are unsustainable its not for the general taxpayer to pick up the tab - which is what many are wanting.
D, england

I had to leave the country to be able to afford to buy a house, and fortunately I was able to just about purchase one in perth australia. I was a middle to high income earner on between 40 and 50k a year, however I was not earning enough to be able to buy a two bedroom apartment in edinburgh, and I got sick and tired of the constant rises and nothing being done about it. The only down side to this story is that perth australia is probably more expensive now than edinburgh, but for me being on the ladder is fortunate, I just feel for those who have now no change of getting there.
Martin, Australia

I'm a potential first-time buyer. I have enough money to buy - but I refuse to. Prices are simply ridiculous and will inevitably crash at some point. Most of my mates are in the same position and are NOT prepared to set aside 6 times their salary and a lifetime of debt for a really tiny, horrible house at the wrong end of town! Renting is currently cheaper, even long-term; and far more flexible. I love renting! And it costs me only half a mortgage monthly payment for a superb house in a great area. I refuse to buy a house!
Chris, Reading, Berks

I'm a recent graduate and I really don't see any way I'm ever going to be able to afford to buy a house. I earn pretty much the average graduate wage, but it's nowhere near enough. As reported on the BBC, the average wage for graduate positions is now �22k. Most banks will lend you a maximum of 4.5x your salary for a mortgage - this is 99k in total. The cheapest flats in my area are around �140k, with the average being closer to �200k. Average student debt is now over �12k. The average graduate, then, is expected to repay �12k, plus save �40-100k for a deposit, all whilst paying rent somewhere else. Fortunately, I am able to live with my parents whilst I save, but I just feel really sorry for people who can't, those on lower wages and folks that wish to live in central london. When the average person cannot afford to buy the average house I think something's very badly wrong with society.
James Ashwin, Oxford

I've three children - one is married with a house and no mortgage, the other lives with her partner in a mobile home because he's paying the mortgage on his ex-wife's house and my son still lives at home, aged 24. there is no affordable housing around here - no starter homes etc. and the price of renting a house is ridiculous so what are the young people to do?
Jackie, New Forest, England

My partner and I, as young key workers could manage to buy a shoe box of a house in Bristol, as the ever so friendly banks were more than willing to straddle us with a life time of high debt. But that's no way to live. Hence we recently moved to New Zealand. If banks weren't so willing to lend these stupid amounts, then they would not have fueled these excessive house prices, and I'd have been more temped to stay in the UK. I say UK's loss, NZ's gain, and would the last key-worker to leave please switch off the lightbulb!
Chris Howard, Was Bristol, Now New Zealand

I have managed to get on the property ladder, but did find it very difficult and have had to move out of the town where I lived to be able to manage it. Others that I work with are not this fortunate. Banks etc are prepared to lend large sums of money that are completely unaffordable compared to what you earn. If you were to take one of these mortgages on, it leaves very little out of your income.
Anna, Bury St Edmunds

I live and work in Nottingham and have done all my life, I have a wife and 2 children and would like to buy a house but it seems greed in this country stops hard working people like myself being able to afford anything so for now we have to rent at a monthly cost which is more then a mortgage would cost! Thank you all you house horders out there, Buy to rent and right to buy have killed the country, Thanks and enjoy the houses when you 6foot under and caused people to be ripped off, where all to blame in the greedy British isles
Andrew, Nottingham

House prices are at the top of a historical peak. Affordability is at an all time low. This happened in the late 80's and what happened? Prices crashed when people stopped buying, when rates rose, when owners got into debt. (And how many people are going to tell you "prices never fall" ? - they said that last time around also). Interest rates are set to rise in the coming months, people who have max'ed themselves out on cheap mortgage deals will get into trouble (debt is at our highest level ever, repossessions are accelerating). Prices are set to fall. Simple test - ask homeowners that you know "could you afford to buy your own home at it's current market value" - most will say no. Hold off until the end of the year.
AR, London

I have recently relocated and am really struggling to find decent affordable housing. The market for 4-bedroom houses has come to a stand-still with sellers advised by estate agents to ask hugely inflated prices and buyers unwilling or unable to buy. OK, this happens at the end of a boom, but what I can't understand is why the stalemate has held for 18 months. In effect the estate agents now have a problem - they have inflated expectations of sellers to a point where the necessary adjustment is going to be a long and painful process for genuine sellers.

How often do you hear the phrase "I couldn't afford my house if I were to buy it now". Well, actually, that's the point. No one else can either unless there is a chain of inflated price sales that keeps the marginal cost of house exchange realistic - pity the debt laden young couples that are trying to enter the market. The estate agency "profession" needs some serious competition and our irresponsible banks need regulation ! to control the amount they lend and the mortgage terms.
AS, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

I am fed up with the BBC and the rest of the media portraying rising house prices as "good news". The only people who benefit from high prices are those withdrawing money from the market. For the rest of us, who just want a place to live, high process bring no cheer.
Andrew Stephenson, London