It’s a strange time for property in the UK, with many commentators expecting house prices to fall in the early part of next year, potentially making it a real buyers’ market in the short to medium term.

One thing that won’t change any time soon though, is just how difficult it is for first time buyers (especially single first-time buyers) to get on to that first rung of the ladder.

Saving a deposit is a hard task for anyone, never mind on your own, and when the amount you can borrow is based on just the one salary, the outlook can be even more bleak.

One renter from Cheetham Hill found something else was causing the computer to say “no” though…
…a long forgotten CCJ.

Sabhia Khan had an unpaid parking ticket on her credit record, that had either been ignored, overlooked or sent to a previous address, and that had subsequently become a CCJ.

CCJ’s stay on your file for 6 years, and so it was no surprise that Sabhia found her options limited when she first looked into getting a mortgage.

The short version of the story, is that Sabhia resolved her issue with some good advice, and is now a proud home owner, but for us at #TeamCES, this story presents us with the perfect opportunity to provide the kind of reminder that Sabhia needed in the first place.

PAY YOUR DEBTS!

Pay your debts as soon as you possibly can. Whatever you do, don’t ignore them and try your best not to overlook them.

A simple parking fine can turn into a CCJ, and the last thing you want is for a CCJ to prevent you from getting onto the property ladder, as it very nearly did with Sabhia.

Not all stories like this have happy endings, so pay your debts and stop them from coming back to haunt you.