Before you start looking
Buying a first home can be exciting and, at times, stressful. The most useful thing you can do early is establish a realistic view of what you may be able to borrow and what the total cost of buying looks like.
That means your deposit, but also valuation and legal fees, Stamp Duty where applicable, moving costs and the first few months of running a home.
Understanding affordability
Lenders assess income, employment type, credit commitments and regular expenditure. Two households with identical salaries can be offered different amounts because of the detail underneath.
An adviser can model this with you before you make an offer, which avoids disappointment later in the process.
Preparing your application
Gather identification, payslips or accounts, and several months of bank statements early. Where a family member is gifting a deposit, a letter confirming the gift is non-repayable is normally required.
Keeping your bank statements tidy in the months before applying is a small thing that genuinely helps.
From offer to completion
Once an offer is accepted, the mortgage application and the legal work run in parallel. Surveys, searches and enquiries all take time, and a chain adds further variables.
We coordinate the moving parts and keep you informed rather than leaving you to chase.