'Marked' rise in first-time buyers

%VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%

First-time buyer numbers have lifted to their highest levels in five and a half years as the housing market shows a "marked" improvement, lenders have reported.

Some 25,100 loans worth £3.4 billion were advanced to people taking their first step on the property ladder during May, representing the highest volume seen since November 2007, Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) figures showed.