'Trapped renters' may never buy

First-time buyers will remain an "endangered species" in 2012, with more than half of them requiring deposits of at least £20,000, Rightmove has said.

Less than a fifth of buyers in many areas of Britain will be stepping on to the ladder for the first time, well below the pre-credit crunch level of around two-fifths, or 40%, according to the property website's confidence survey.