For years, would-be homeowners have been told that borrowing around four-and-a-half times their salary was roughly the ceiling.
Now that ceiling is being pushed higher with a number of lenders offering mortgages of up to 6.5 times income for qualifying first-time buyers.
This comes as lenders are increasingly stretching their affordability criteria to help people buy homes in a market where house prices remain out of reach for many.
Shorts
According to Nationwide, the average price of a British home rose 0.2 per cent month-on-month in August to £275,465 – the first increase since April.
