While I sympathise to a certain extent with Neil Hopkins and his partner's difficulty in getting on the property ladder (Letters, November 12), I found his attitude a bit snobby.

I am in my fifties. Although I am a skilled engineer, throughout my working life I have always been in the financial situation which Mr Hopkins also finds himself, namely, being unable to afford to buy a property.

Mr Hopkins speaks of not being able to afford a decent-size home in a nice area.

But it's not the area where you live, it's the people who live there who make the difference.

I live in a small council flat, in the lower end of the private/ council property market and am fortunate to have good neighbours.

My advice to Mr Hopkins and his partner is to lower their sights and look to buy in other areas.

He might be surprised how good life can be at the lower end of the housing market.

-Ian Hunt, Worthing