Fees for first-timer buyers wanting to get on the property ladder have risen by two thirds in the last 18 months, according to an independent financial comparison site.

Average application fees have on fixed-rate mortgages have jumped from £517.19 to £860.25 since September 2006 - when only 22 mortgages had an application fee of more than £750, said MoneyExpert.com

Halifax''s two-year fixed-rate mortgage for homeowners with a 25 per cent deposit, which had a fee of £1,499 in 2006.

But Halifax''s current three-year fixed-rate? mortgage deal has a fee of £3,999, making it the highest application cost on the market.

Sean Gardner, director of MoneyExpert.com, said: "Such high mortgage application fees will come as something of a shock to many homebuyers. We''re just not used to these levels of charge.
"The days of fee-free mortgages are over and frankly getting anything under £1,000 is something of a coup."

The Co-operative Bank (Co-op) announced in February it was setting aside funds so it could waive fees on all its mortgages for a limited period.

The Co-op currently offers a three-year fixed rate fixed-rate mortgage with no application fee.