Buyers can fall into one of five property personality types that affect how they see the market, a report from the Building Societies Association (BSA) has claimed.

The organisation says that buyers who have ''been around the block'' are among those most likely to rely on their own knowledge when making a purchase and are realistic about the possibility of house price falls, while ''aspirant fledglings'' tend to be optimistic about the market.

''Savvy long-haulers'' look at long term trends before making a decision, which in turn may affect ''bandwagoneers'' who are more likely to follow trends set by buzz around certain areas of the market.

However, the ''wallflowers'' wait until they see a price fall before getting into the property market.

Adrian Coles, the director general of the BSA, said: "People are motivated by a variety of reasons to enter the property market… Those buying property generally do give great consideration to a wide number of factors and enter the market with their eyes open."

However, it appears that the majority of buyers agree on the usefulness of property, with a new poll by the BBC series The Truth About Property revealing that 53 per cent think it is a safer investment than cash savings.