HSBC has also revealed it has approved more than £10.6bn in mortgages in the first six months of 2012, helping over 97,000 UK borrowers.
This is an increase of 16% on the same period in 2011 (£9.1bn).
Of the total figure £2.7bn was approved to first-time buyers helping 23,500 take a first step onto the property ladder. This equates to over 900 first-time buyers each week or 130 per day.
HSBC is the largest direct lender to first-time buyers and one in three direct first-time buyer mortgages is through HSBC.
In January the lender confirmed it would be making at least £15bon of mortgage funding available to UK homeowners in 2012 including £3 billion specifically set aside for first-time buyers.
By the end of June HSBC had already approved more than two thirds of this figure which is why it is increasing its targets.
Peter Dockar, head of mortgages at HSBC, said: “At a time when many other lenders are contracting their lending we remain committed to helping more customers who aspire to own their own home and we approved a record number of mortgages in the first half of this year.
“So we can help an increasing number of customers finance their homes we are extending our mortgage funding pledge by an extra £2bn, meaning HSBC will make at least £17 billion available to UK homeowners this year.”
