2013 saw leap in mortgage approvals
Mortgage approvals for house purchases rose by 20% in 2013 compared to the doldrums of the previous year, according to the latest data from the Bank of England.
There were 734,989 mortgages approved in 2013, compared to 612, 654 in 2012, a year when many first-time buyers were shut out of the property market.
Despite the rise however, lending remains well below the levels of the peak of the housing boom.