A new mortgage offer from the building society Bristol & West is promising to get more graduates on the property ladder. Much has been made of the debt problems facing young people when they finish university. Record debts of around £10,000 make it very difficult for graduates to get a foot on the property ladder.

Bristol & West’s 1st Start enables parents to go in with their children to boost their borrowing power. “1st Start is an exciting innovation in the mortgage market that meets a very pressing need,” said Paul Vinnicombe, senior product manager at Bristol & West. “Many parents are caught between a rock and a hard place, on the one hand wanting to help their children get on the property ladder and on the other needing to maximise their retirement savings.