Buying your first home, explained properly.
Deposits, mortgages, stamp duty, surveys, solicitors, moving day. Everything in plain English, by people who don't work for a bank. Free guides, calculators and checklists.
- No adverts
- No sales pitch
- Written for 2026 rules
Four stages. Nobody explains them in order, so we did.
Get your money straight
Deposit, credit score, spending. The 12 months before you apply matter more than people think.
Read the guide →Find out what you can borrow
A mortgage in principle tells you your budget before you fall in love with a house you cannot afford.
Read the guide →Find the house, make the offer
Viewings, questions, negotiating. Then the offer, the survey and the solicitors.
Read the guide →Exchange, complete, move in
The mortgage offer, the legal work, the day the money moves and you get the keys.
Read the guide →Work out your numbers in two minutes.
No sign-up, no "enter your phone number". Just the sums.
How much can I borrow?
Income times 4.5, and what that means for the price you can look at.
Try it →Deposit planner
How long until you have enough, with or without a Lifetime ISA bonus.
Try it →Stamp duty
First-time buyer rates for England and Northern Ireland, and what you save.
Try it →Monthly payment
What a mortgage costs each month, and what happens if rates go up 1%.
Try it →The Mortgage-Ready Checklist.
One page. What to do 12 months, 6 months and 3 months before you apply, so the lender says yes first time. Plus four more checklists: documents, viewings, budget, moving day.
Free. We ask for your email so we can send it, and we will never sell it.
- Get on the electoral roll at your current address
- Check all three credit reports and fix mistakes
- Open a Lifetime ISA if you're under 40
- Stop applying for new credit six months out
- Keep deposit in one account with a clean trail
- Three months of tidy bank statements
- Get a mortgage in principle from a broker
- Register with agents and set portal alerts
The questions everyone asks first.
How much deposit do I need?
5%, 10% or 15%: what each one gets you, and why the first £10,000 is the hardest.
Read →Schemes that actually help
Lifetime ISA, 95% mortgages, shared ownership, First Homes, Co-Ownership in NI. Which one fits you.
Read →What is a mortgage in principle?
The piece of paper that tells you your budget and makes agents take you seriously.
Read →The costs nobody warns you about
Surveys, searches, solicitors, fees and the £2,000 you'll spend in the first month.
Read →Your credit score, sorted
What lenders actually look at, and the six things to fix before you apply.
Read →Getting help from parents
Gifted deposits, guarantor mortgages and the paperwork that stops it going wrong.
Read →Straight answers
How much deposit do I actually need?
Usually 5% to 10% of the price. With 5% you can get a mortgage (a permanent government guarantee scheme supports 95% loans), but the rate is higher and fewer lenders play. At 10% the choice opens up. At 15% or more the rates get noticeably better. Our deposit guide goes through it with numbers.
How much can I borrow?
Most lenders lend about 4 to 4.5 times your income (joint income if you buy together). Some go to 5.5 times for higher earners or certain professions. They also check what you actually spend, so a big car finance payment reduces it. Try the borrowing calculator.
Do I need a mortgage broker?
No, but most first-time buyers are better off with one. A broker looks across dozens of lenders, knows which will accept your situation (new job, self-employed, small deposit, gifted money) and does the paperwork. Many charge nothing because the lender pays them. Our broker guide explains how to choose one.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
In England and Northern Ireland, not on the first £300,000 of a home costing up to £500,000, and 5% on the part between £300,000 and £500,000. Above £500,000 the relief disappears completely. Scotland and Wales have their own taxes. Calculator here.
How long does it all take?
From having an offer accepted to getting the keys, 8 to 14 weeks is typical, sometimes longer in a chain. The mortgage itself usually takes 2 to 6 weeks from application to offer. Getting a mortgage in principle takes an afternoon.
Is this site trying to sell me something?
No. It is free, there are no adverts, and we do not give advice. If you want to talk to a broker, there is one page that points you to one, clearly labelled. Everything else is just help.
Get the free Mortgage-Ready Checklist.
Everything to do in the 12, 6 and 3 months before you apply, on one printable page. Plus four more checklists. Free, in your inbox in a minute.