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New research has suggested that more than 32,000 buyers have used the Help to Buy scheme to move up the housing ladder.

The Government has said that 170,000 new-build homes have been bought with Help to Buy since the scheme was introduced.  But according to some, the scheme is also being used by buyers to trade up.  Help to Buy is not restricted to first time buyers though the majority of its users are first time buyers.

The scheme offers borrowers loans of up to 20% of the property's value (40% in London) which are interest-free for the first five years.

Researchers say some buyers are putting up bigger deposits, using the equity in their first home and people are upsizing into bigger homes by using Help to Buy as their circumstances have changed.  They may have met someone but don't have enough equity to trade up, so rely on the loan.

The loan is about helping people access ownership of the right kind of home, some of these people may be on high salaries, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can afford the home they need.