According to a report published by Lloyds TSB, a fifth of those who would like to move house said they would need help from the bank of mum and dad to afford to do so. Much has been made of the need for first-time buyers to rely on family support or government schemes in order to get on the property ladder.

Over 60% of first-time buyers use money from their parents and grandparents in order to purchase a home. The relatively high cost of housing and the large deposits required by mortgage lenders are widely cited as obstacles for first-time buyers.

However, less attention has been given to subsequent-time buyers, also known as ‘second steppers’. The new report from Lloyds TSB suggests that some homeowners who want to move up the ladder are facing similar challenges, with 16% saying they would need a capital injection of almost £20,000 to afford the move.

Other obstacles are the lack of suitable property coming onto the market and the cost of such property – a vicious circle, as under-supply serves to prop up the value of larger homes.

According to Lloyds TSB, the cost of moving to a bigger property has risen in every region of England except for London in the course of the past year. It reported that almost two-thirds of second-steppers either could not find or could not afford a suitable property.

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Marc Page, mortgages director at Lloyds TSB, said: “Parents have long been helping to fund their children’s first home, but many are now having to provide further support as they move up the ladder. This indicates that these customers still need further support.

“To achieve a sustainable housing market we need to see movement throughout the market. If second steppers get stuck on the first rung, movement at the bottom half of the ladder comes to a standstill.”