One in four of those intending to buy a house in 2014 are reliant on government schemes such as Help to Buy.

While 12 per cent of adults surveyed planned to take out a mortgage in the next year to buy their first home, more than one-quarter (28 per cent) said they could only do so with the assistance of Help to Buy, or a similar scheme.

One-quarter also said that they would need to rely on parental support to afford the deposit for a mortgage, with one-third saying they were financially independent enough to cover the cost themselves.

More than two-fifths were planning to take out a mortgage by 2016, which is when the government-guaranteed scheme is expected to finish.

Brian Murphy, head of lending at Mortgage Advice Bureau, said: “People are fast realising the wind is blowing in their favour when it comes to joining or moving up the property ladder.”

Mr Murphy also praised the government for taking financial pressure off “the bank of Mum and Dad” by taking away the need for large deposits to acquire a mortgage.