First-time buyers
Your first home, step by step
A clear route from deposit and mortgage preparation through offer, survey, legal work and completion.
10 min readPlain-English property guidance
Make your next move well informed.
Practical, carefully sourced answers—without the sales pitch. Start with where you are in the journey.
21 complete guides4 useful topics2026 source reviews
Buying a home
Build a realistic budget, prepare for a mortgage and understand the checks between an offer and completion.
Saving
Using a Lifetime ISA for your first home
Understand the bonus, price cap, waiting period and withdrawal charge.
8 min readDeposits
Deposits and loan-to-value
See how deposit size changes borrowing and why cash reserves matter.
7 min readPreparation
Agreement in Principle explained
What an AIP tells you and what it does not guarantee.
7 min readSurveys
Which home survey should you choose?
Match the depth of inspection to the property and your plans.
8 min readNew builds
New-build incentives and valuation gaps
Understand incentives, lender valuations, deadlines and the cash gap risk.
10 min readMortgages
Compare repayment methods, rates, fees and flexibility without mistaking a headline deal for the whole cost.
Choosing
How to choose a mortgage
Compare full cost, rate type, fees, flexibility and eligibility.
9 min readPreparation
Getting mortgage-ready when self-employed
Prepare accounts, tax evidence and bank statements before applying.
9 min readCosts
Mortgage fees and APRC explained
See which charges matter and compare deals fairly.
8 min readRepayment
Repayment or interest-only?
Understand how each method changes payments and risk.
8 min readRates
Fixed or tracker mortgage?
Compare payment certainty, rate risk, flexibility and fees.
8 min readOverpayments
Overpayments and early repayment charges
Learn how paying extra can reduce interest—and which limits to check.
8 min readMarket context
The UK's largest mortgage lenders
What market-share data tells you—and what it does not.
7 min readLegal & ownership
Understand the documents and obligations that can affect how you use, finance and sell a home.
Conveyancing
Searches, legal fees and disbursements
Know what your conveyancer checks and compare quotations.
9 min readLeasehold
Buying and extending a leasehold
Years remaining, extension routes, charges and major works.
11 min readTitle checks
Property covenants explained
How restrictions affect alterations, use, lending and resale.
9 min readShared ownership
Shared ownership: the whole cost
Look beyond the deposit to rent, repairs, staircasing and resale.
10 min readResearch, selling & moving
Use market evidence carefully, compare selling proposals and plan the full cost of the move.
Research
What sold prices really tell you
Use comparable sales without mistaking an old transaction for a valuation.
6 min readMarket note
UK house prices: May 2026
Our original national and regional analysis of the latest official HPI release.
8 min readSelling
How to compare estate-agent valuations
Test the evidence, strategy, contract and likely net proceeds.
8 min readMoving
The true cost of moving home
Budget for tax, legal work, surveys, removals and surprises.
7 min readPut the guidance to work
Try the numbers for your situation
Use a calculator alongside the guide, then replace the assumptions with current quotes and product details.