As the credit crunch gathers intensity, more and more holders of homeowner loans and mortgages are considering the real possibility that their home could be repossessed.

The number s of people facing repossession has risen dramatically since last year. In the first three months of this year, over 27,000 repossession orders were issued, a massive 17% increase on the number issued in the same period last year.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has made estimates based on current figures which suggest that as many as 43,000 families will have had their home repossessed by the end of the year.

If their estimate proves correct, it would mean that repossessions across the whole year had doubled since last year.

As debt spirals out of control, more and more people are putting their homes at risk by taking out precarious homeowner loans. As a result, debt agencies have been overwhelmed by calls from people of all walks of life.

Heather Keates is the chief executive of Community Money Advice, a debt counseling charity. She discusses how more affluent people are risking their homes as their various debts spiral out of control:

"Many of the people we are advising have a reasonable income and could afford a good standard of living were it not for the repayments due on their numerous credit cards and loans. Now that they can't recycle this debt on to an interest-free card, or rely on rising property prices to bail them out, they are running into problems."

Advisors from Community Money Advice warn that to hang onto your property you should confront your debts head-on. They recommend seeking advice from professionals, talking to your lender and drawing up a list of all your debts and prioritizing them.

Lisa Colcough, of Citizens Advice, says: "If you are liable to lose your home, your liberty or essential goods and services, then this is a priority debt."