There are frequent comments on Social Media about the price of Properties in Jersey, and elsewhere for that matter, but no more so than on properties that are stipulated as first-time buyer properties.

With property price inflation, inflation generally and the cost of property in Jersey because of the limited space and perhaps the lack of foresight from previous Governments to address the situation of the new home building in Jersey.

Planning policy hasn't particularly helped at the best of times on that front, but nor has the "not in my backyard" approach from some of the Parishes. It is inevitable that those properties allocated to first-time buyers increase to levels that do not seem affordable to First Time Buyers. Obviously, in many cases, this is true however the situation of a first-time buyer needs to be explained.

A first-time buyer in Jersey can have already owned a property. This may sound odd, but anyone who owns a stipulated First Time Buyer's apartment remains a first-time buyer, as does a qualified buyer who has owned or owns a Share Transfer Apartment. Therefore to some extent, at first glance, a house at £800,000 may seem unaffordable to a first-time buyer. However, it is not, those who legitimately qualify can buy these first-time buyer homes.

Whilst the above may not seem entirely fair, it explains how a buyer can afford those homes classified as First Time Buyer Homes.

For those who are uncertain as to their status, we recommend that you contact the Population Office to clarify your status.

At the moment, there are over 1500 properties on the market, quite a lot of these are apartments, and apartments are sometimes an excellent place to start in your first step on the property ladder. However what type of apartment you are looking for also bears scrutiny and you have to factor in service charges and sinking fund contributions.