Cashback Remortgages · Mortgage knowledge
First-Time Buyer Mortgage Preparation
Start with what you can comfortably afford and the evidence behind your deposit. A borrowing estimate and a property price are useful starting figures, but neither replaces a full budget or a lender's decision.
Prepare the deposit and the buying-cost buffer
Your deposit is not the same as all the cash needed to buy. Keep room for legal work, a survey, moving and applicable property tax. Gifts or other transfers may require evidence and a clear explanation of whether the money is repayable.
Understand what an early lending indication means
An agreement in principle is conditional and time-limited. The lender may carry out further checks during the full application, including a property valuation. Ask about the type of credit search before proceeding and disclose material changes in circumstances.
Ask the right questions about the home
Leasehold, shared-ownership and new-build transactions can introduce additional charges, conditions and timing issues. Use the relevant council or provider's current scheme terms and ask your conveyancer about the property itself.
Legal steps and property taxes differ across the UK. Do not apply an England-only buying or tax summary to a Scottish or Welsh property. Our local resources help identify the appropriate context; they do not establish scheme eligibility.
Sources and further reading
General mortgage information, not a personal recommendation. Lender criteria and scheme rules can change. Ask an adviser about your circumstances and a solicitor or tax adviser about legal or tax questions. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Most buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the FCA.
Discuss the next step for your mortgage
Understand your options before you make a decision.