HOME, SUNDAY TIMES

A traditional route has been for the first-timer to snap up the cheap(er) and cheerful — the flat above the shop, the tiny Victorian terrace, the ex-local-authority property in a so-so neighbourhood. These days, though, it may be easiest to opt for new-build, says Simon Tollit, director of Tedworth Property estate agency: “Many offer incentives, Help to Buy and shared or part ownership.”