ONE new home buyer, Peter Davison of Knebworth, spoke to The Comet about his experiences in buying a property with his girlfriend. Mr Davison, 25, said: I bought a one-bedroom flat with my girlfriend last summer. We started looking with a fairly realist

ONE new home buyer, Peter Davison of Knebworth, spoke to The Comet about his experiences in buying a property with his girlfriend.

Mr Davison, 25, said: "I bought a one-bedroom flat with my girlfriend last summer.

"We started looking with a fairly realistic expectation of what we could buy for our money but it meant we had a very limited choice of properties, despite looking in a number of locations.

"We spent about three months looking and viewed about 10 properties - literally the only ones we could find on the market that we had a hope of affording.

"I think, like us, most first time buyers make a lot of compromises to buy a property they can afford, as a stepping stone to a home they really want.

"I have friends who have worked hard to save money for a deposit on a house but property prices have rocketed so much their savings are not enough and the idea of buying a property is getting further out of reach.

"I'm glad we took the plunge last year because I doubt we could afford to buy now.