First-time buyers will face something of a double-edged sword next year, according to mortgage lenders.

With house price growth slowing, affordability should improve, but uncertainty about the future is likely to dent confidence.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said concerns about the stability of the market would likely affect first-time-buyers more than those who already had some experience of the property market.

"First-time buyers are going to be a group who are probably as vulnerable, if not more vulnerable, than everyone else to confidence issues and expectations of what is going to happen," said Sue Anderson, the CML's head of external affairs.

"They may feel a bit wobbly in light of what has been going on in the market."

Recent surveys suggest house prices could fall next year, which would be welcomed by anyone struggling to get a foot on the property ladder.

But with the global credit crisis restricting the availability of credit, utility bills on the increase and the prospect of higher home insurance premiums following the recent floods, a number of hurdles still remain.

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