If you're working towards buying your first home you might feel like everything is stacked against you - but recent changes could help you get a mortgage. It hard to save for a deposit when the cost of living is so high, the average house price is nearly £300,000, external and interest rates on new mortgages are rising. However, a rule change and more flexible lending mean first-time buyers can now borrow up to six, or at the most, seven times what you earn in a year. This means mortgages will be within reach for more people but it is a shift that comes with some risk so here's what you need to know.