On Sunday Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, announced that the government wanted to let parents and grandparents use their pensions to help first time buyers onto the property ladder. To say the details are vague is an understatement, but from the information that’s available, I think it’s fair to say that there’s a reasonable amount of scepticism about how it would work.

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If you’re thinking of buying a property in a rural area, there are some problems that buyers in towns and cities are unlikely to face (rights of way and not being on mains drainage are two examples that spring to mind). Mortgage lenders are a pretty cautious bunch by nature – especially in the current climate – so it’s worth being aware of what might scare them before you start your search.

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The Association of Residential Managing Agents, which represents property managers, says that several leaseholder-run blocks of flats have been landed with backdated gas and electricity bills for tens of thousands of pounds. The bills are a result of energy companies misreading meters for the communal areas of their flats. What can you do if this happens to you?

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