“This is boom time for the UK economy and rising house prices have made a lot of people in this country very rich”.

Indeed, wading through the plethora of housing statistics that are produced by a diverse set of UK organisations, it’s clear that UK property prices have been rising for more than a decade. In the past year alone, the average price of a UK property has risen in value by around 10%.

This property boom has been driven by a number of factors – the UK has historically low unemployment figures, with interest rates having been at low levels for much of the past ten years.

The cost of borrowing has been low, while banks, building societies and other mortgage lenders have all been keen to lend money to potential home-owners.

The property market has also seen a transition – gone are the days when the majority of buyers were simply looking for a home. Now, everyone’s looking for an investment.

Such has been the performance of the UK property market that some have even started to look at property as a means of providing for their pensions. Across the country people are snapping up properties and then renting them out.

The plan is to make money from the rental incomes, while also seeing the properties rise in value. The buy-to-let phenomenon has arrived and has been keeping the market buoyant.

Recent months have seen some warning signs appear. Darker clouds hover, in the shape of rising interest rates.

As the UK has developed a debt culture, inflation has started to rise and economists are keen to see it kept under control. The result has been some sharp increases in interest rates.

All of a sudden, the cost of borrowing is rising. Making a profit from buy-to-let, at least in the short-term, could become more difficult. There is even hushed talk of a house price crash, last witnessed almost 20 years ago.

First time buyers need to have a clear idea of what kind of home they want in the UK. Property prices are still at an all time high and so it pays to have a clear idea of just exactly what you might expect from UK property. First of all you want to be clear about what sort of property is right for your present needs. Are you looking for a flat as a first time buyer or do you have a growing family and want to move into a house? If it is the latter then what type of house do you think might be suitable? You also want to check out locations. Where a property is located in the UK can have a huge effect on its price and its attractiveness to people who are looking to buy a property.

If you have an idea of the location you would like to move to then it is a good idea to go and take a look around the area. If you have children then you will want to know about the local schools and how far these might be from a property that you like. You might also want to look at other facilities in the area, like how close are the local shops and where is the nearest post office. Take a walk around the area so that you can get some idea of the type of properties that will be available; this will also give you an idea of how safe you feel walking around a given area. In general it is reasonably safe in the UK. Property owners often form neighbourhood watch committees and this increases the safety of the area.

Once you have decided on an area then you might want to investigate other factors that may have an impact on what type of UK property you buy and exactly where that might be. If you need parking space then you may want to look for a property with a large front drive or with a garage attached – although properties with a garage will be in a higher price bracket. If you are single or just a couple looking for a flat rather than a house then you might want to check out who your neighbours will be and what sort of noise they might be expected to make. You should also think about these things if you are considering buying a terraced or semi-detached home rather than a detached property.

Whatever type of property you need you should be clear about whether it is being offered as a leasehold or a freehold UK property. Most people nowadays will opt for freehold because this gives you more control over the property and it can remain in your family for as long as you want it to – with a leasehold property it is only yours for a given period of time; normally ninety nine years before it resorts back to the original owner or their estate.

Once you have decide on the location and type of property that you want then you may want to start looking at what type of mortgages will be available to you on UK property. Different types of mortgages are intended to suit different buyer’s needs. You might be offered a fixed rate mortgage which means interest rates are fixed at what they are currently for an agreed period; say one to ten years, this is a good option when interest rates are low. A variable rate mortgage means that the interest can go up or down depending on the Bank of England and how an individual lender deals with interest.