Buyers and lenders alike are increasingly willing to commit to long-term mortgages as the best way to combat further affordability issues on the housing market.

An investigation by financial website moneyfacts.co.uk found that 80 per cent of leading lenders now offer mortgage options beyond the normal 25-year term – with seven lenders even prepared to up to 52-year deals.

And in another poll by the site, nearly four in ten of the house buyers questioned were found to be looking exclusively for longer-life mortgages, seeing it as the only way to get themselves onto the first rung of the property ladder.

"A mortgage for most of us will represent the largest and longest financial commitment of our lives," commented Julia Harris, analyst at moneyfacts.

"For many years the standard term considered for a mortgage in the UK was 25 years, but as affordability becomes increasingly difficult for many of today's first time buyers, a 25-year term is perhaps no longer considered sufficient."

The report reminded anyone looking at long-term mortgages to remember that lower monthly repayments will eventually see interest costs spiral.