Demand for mortgages of at least the value of a property has risen sharply this year as borrowers have found it more difficult to get on to the housing ladder.

Mortgage Advice Bureau, a broker, has seen demand for 100 per cent mortgages double in the first nine months of this year, compared with the same period last year. The number of buyers taking out mortgages in excess of 100 per cent rose by 45 per cent.