One in five of us is having to take on a second job to cope with soaring house prices and rising interest rates, a survey has revealed.

Research by lender Bradford & Bingley shows that 19 per cent of homeowners are now having to take on additional work so they can meet day-to-day living expenses as home costs spiral.

Interest rates have risen by two percentage points in the past three years and house prices have soared by more than 12 per cent in the last year alone - well in excess of the average rise in wages.

An Assetz House Price Watch survey, published yesterday, showed that average house prices rose by £20,000 in the year from April 2006.

Home repossession orders increased by 53 per cent in Bradford last year alone as more and more home buyers found they had overstretched themselves to get on to the property ladder.

Latest figures show that between July and September last year, the number of repossession orders actually made in Bradford increased from 152 to 232, with mortgage lenders - banks, building societies and private firms - given permission to seize 53 per cent more properties.

The B&B survey showed that 12 per cent of people who are working extra hours are running their own businesses.

These range from people forming their own fully-fledged companies to others who make additional cash by selling goods on internet auction sites like e-Bay.

A further 11 per cent had taken on separate jobs on top of their main occupation to make ends meet, with top choices for extra work including nursing, cleaning, tutoring and working as councillors.

B&B director Andy Wiggans said: "Our research shows that increasing numbers of people want to get more out of life than a nine-to-five salaried job can provide.

"One size no longer fits all."

And a spokesman for the bank said: "More and more people are going into jobs where they can earn more money privately.

"For example a teacher can provide tuition in his or her spare time.

"Often this extra money can mean the difference between a three-bedroom house and a two-bedroom house, or a home in certain part of town.

"It is a very British thing - an Englishman's home is his castle. At the same time the British have never been afraid of hard work and as the cost of living has risen with the price of houses, people are willing to work hard to maintain both."

The spokesman added that more and more people were getting involved in the buy-to-let market.

"It is becoming more and more common for people to own more than one property and we are seeing an increasing number of people having a second income to help meet these terms."

A spokesman for the Council for Mortgage Lenders said: "It can be hard managing costs.

"In recent years we have seen increased house prices and interest rates which have risen more quickly than earnings.

"There will obviously have to be a trade-off made in terms of people either working harder to earn more to support their borrowing, or compromising on lifestyle factors.

"It might be something that does become more attractive as and when costs get higher."

One person to take on extra work to keep up with mortgage and lifestyle costs is Bradford taxi driver Sajid Ali, 36, who has started his own property business to protect his lifestyle Mr Sajid said: "Having a second income has made it possible for me to achieve my dreams. After just ten weeks of working in my second job, I have been able to book a trip to take my family to Pakistan - something I always thought was wishful thinking, not an achievable goal."

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