STEP BY STEP HOUSE BUYING GUIDE UK
Buying your first home can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time. From saving for a deposit to dealing with estate agents, solicitors, and mortgage advisors, there’s a lot to learn along the way. When I went through this process myself, I realised how many small details no one tells you about — so I decided to write this step-by-step guide to make your journey clearer, smoother, and hopefully a bit more enjoyable.
Disclaimer: The content in this blog is based on my personal views and experiences. You should always do your own research before making any financial or property-related commitments. I am not a financial or property advisor, nor do I have a legal background. I am also not sponsored by any individual, company, or entity mentioned in this blog.
1. Proactive financial preparation
Improve your credit score
Before you start looking at houses, it’s important to prepare yourself financially. Make sure your credit scores are in good range. Your credit score is a number that represents how reliable you are at repaying borrowed money. It’s based on your past financial behaviour — things like paying bills on time, managing credit cards responsibly, and avoiding too much debt.
Tips to improve your credit score before applying for a mortgage:
- Pay all bills and credit cards on time.
- Avoid taking new loans or credit cards unnecessarily.
- Don’t max out your credit card limits — ideally use less than 25% of available credit.
- Check your credit report regularly (from Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion) to fix any errors.
- Make sure you’re on the electoral roll at your current address.
- Never withdraw cash from a credit card
- If you have issues such as county court judgements for unpaid bills, make sure they are wiped out from your record – can take up to 6 years. So, time your application at right moment.
A healthy credit score not only increases your chance of mortgage approval but also helps you get better interest rates.
Keep your bank statements clean — lenders will review your last few months of statements. Avoid:
- Unpaid loans or missed payments
- Overdraft usage
- Gambling or unnecessary spending
These small details can make a big difference when your mortgage application is being reviewed.
Save for your deposit
So, if you’re between two ranges (say, 9% vs 10%), try to push yourself to reach that next threshold — that’s where you’ll start seeing real benefits in your mortgage rates.
Assess how much you can burrow
Once you are done with these steps find out how much you can borrow. Most banks and mortgage brokers will offer you an Agreement in Principle (AIP) — sometimes also called a Mortgage in Principle. This is basically a document showing how much a lender is likely to let you borrow, based on your income, expenses, and credit history. It’s not a guarantee, but it gives you a realistic idea of your price range. Having an AIP is very important when you start viewing properties. When you put in an offer on a house you like, estate agents will ask for this to confirm that you’re a serious buyer. Without it, your offer might not even be considered. Most lenders do a soft credit check when giving you an AIP — this means it won’t impact your credit score. However, a few lenders still perform a hard check, which can leave a small mark on your credit file. Always ask the lender or broker what type of check they use before applying. You don’t want to start your journey with hard search on your credit history.
2. Get a Mortgage Advisor or Broker
Getting a mortgage is one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll ever make, so it’s worth taking seriously. With thousands of mortgage products available, the process can feel confusing, especially for first-time buyers. You generally have two options when applying for a mortgage: go directly to a lender (bank or a building society) or use a mortgage broker. My advice is to go through a broker — they have access to the whole market, understand different lenders’ criteria, and can accurately assess your affordability. More importantly, they save you time and stress by doing the hard work of comparing deals while you focus on other parts of your house-buying journey. You can find mortgage advisors online or get recommendations from friends or colleagues who have recently gone through the process. Estate agent will also try to provide you with their in-house advisor, it’s all up to you on whether to accept that or go for your own. A broker will usually ask for documents such as your bank statements, payslips, P60, proof of identity, and if you’re on a visa, your immigration status share code. When choosing your mortgage advisor, a few key questions to ask are:
- Do you have access to the whole market?
- Do you charge a fee or are you paid a procuration fee by the lender?
- Are you a Certified Mortgage Advisor (CMA) accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF)?
It’s also important to have an open discussion with your advisor about your financial situation, family size, number of dependents, income, and monthly expenses. Together, decide the length of the mortgage — typically 25, 30, or 35 years — depending on your age and the age you intend to retire. You should also understand the type of mortgage deal you want to go for.
- Fixed-rate mortgages: Most common one, where your repayments stay the same for a set period regardless of changes in interest rates — offering peace of mind and stability, though you won’t benefit if rates drop.
- Variable-rate mortgages: Where your interest rate can move up or down depending on changes in the UK economy or the Bank of England’s base rate.
Each has its pros and cons, so take time to weigh your options carefully and pick the one that best suits your long-term plans. Ask questions to your advisor and understand all the process and timeline with them. Some of them charge a fee while others don’t — the one I used personally was from Doctors Mortgage Online, and I found their service very smooth and professional. More importantly, they understood how doctors’ contracts work, the nuances of locum arrangements, and the specific challenges around international doctors on work visas, which made the whole process much easier and stress-free. An added perk was that their service was completely free of cost, which was a pleasant surprise given the level of expertise and support they provided.
P.S. I used Doctors Mortgage Online, and one of their advisors, Mark Emery, helped me throughout the process. I don’t receive any financial benefit from them — my recommendation is purely based on the excellent service they provided, the transparency they maintained, and the fact that their advice came at no cost to me.
3. Finding a Home
When talking to the estate agent, let them do most of the talking — this often reveals useful information like the reason for sale or how motivated the seller is. Sometimes, knowing why someone is selling can work in your favour — for example, if they’re relocating abroad and need a quick sale, they might be open to negotiation. But don’t show too much excitement if you like the place — stay calm and composed and express your interest later when making a formal offer.
Here are some key questions you should ask the estate agent after your viewing:
- How many viewings has it had?
- How many offers has it had?
- How long has it been on the market?
- How long is the lease (if it has one)?
- Have there been any neighbour disputes?
- Why are the vendors moving, and are they sure they want to sell now?
- What renovations have been done?
- Where are the vendors moving to — is there a chain?
- Is there a service charge, and if so, how much does it typically increase by?
- Who lives upstairs, downstairs, or next door?
- How long has the seller lived there?
- What’s included in the sale — white goods, curtains, wood burner?
- Is there an allotted parking space or residents’ permits
- If there’s a real fireplace, is it safe to use?
- Have there been any subsidence problems?
- What’s the council tax band?
Finally, once you’ve found a property you like and are considering making an offer, take time to visit the neighbourhood on your own — during the day, at night, on weekends, and in different weather conditions. You might notice things you didn’t spot during the viewing, such as parking issues, noise levels, or how well the area feels after dark. I can remember during my house buying process, I visited the neighbourhood at-least at 20 different times. These little checks can make a big difference in how happy you’ll be in your new home.
If you’re a first-time buyer, remember the odds are already in your favour — you’ve got funds ready and no property chain behind you, so sellers often prefer you over others in longer chains. Use that to your advantage when negotiating later.
What does “chain” mean?
A property chain refers to a line of buyers and sellers linked together because each person’s purchase depends on selling their own home first. For example, if someone can’t buy their next house until they’ve sold their current one, that creates a chain. Being a first-time buyer means you’re not dependent on selling another property — so your purchase can move faster, and that makes you a stronger, more reliable buyer in the eyes of sellers.
4. Making an Offer and Negotiating
Once you’ve found a property you truly like, it’s time to make an offer — and this is where preparation and strategy really come into play. Before making your offer, do a bit of homework: check how long the property has been on the market, look up similar listings on Zoopla or Rightmove, and see if the asking price has changed recently.
Before you start negotiating, it’s vital to decide the minimum you’re willing to offer and the maximum you can realistically stretch to for that property. When setting these figures, don’t just think about your deposit — consider all the additional costs that come with buying a home, because these will eat into your savings and affect your borrowing capacity. Typical upfront costs include:
- Mortgage arrangement fee: £500 – £1,500
- Mortgage booking/reservation fee: £0 – £250
- Bank valuation fee: £0 – £300
- Survey fee: £400 – £1,000 (depending on survey type)
- Anti-money-laundering checks: £50 – £100
- Conveyancing fee to the solicitor: £1,500 – £2,500
- Land Registry fee: £150 – £300
- Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): now payable even for first-time buyers, depending on the property price
On top of these, don’t forget your moving-in and setup costs — things like furniture, fittings, fixtures, painting, flooring, curtains, appliances, or any renovations you plan to do after completion. These can easily add a few thousand pounds more to your total spend. For example, if your total savings are £40,000, and you spend £7,000–£8,000 on these other costs, your actual deposit contribution will drop to £33,000 or less, which could affect how much you can borrow. So always set your minimum and maximum offer price keeping all these expenses in mind — not just the house price itself.
Always put your first offer in writing, ideally by email, rather than over the phone or in person. Verbal conversations can easily be swayed by emotions, whereas a written offer keeps things clear and professional. Ask the estate agent to forward your offer directly to the seller, as some agents might filter or delay communication. Then within your range start negotiating confidently. Be prepared to walk away if it goes beyond what you can afford — always buy at a price that feels right for you, not what the seller or agent thinks you “should” pay.
Be aware of potential pitfalls like gazumping and gazanging — two common terms in the UK housing market. Gazumping happens when a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer after already agreeing to yours, while gazanging is when the seller suddenly decides not to sell at all before contracts are exchanged. Although gazanging can’t be fully avoided, you can reduce the risk of being gazumped by being a chain-free buyer, keeping your Agreement in Principle ready, and asking the estate agent to mark the property as “Sold Subject to Contract (STC)” both online and on the signboard as a precondition of your offer being accepted. This clearly signals to others that the property is off the market and discourages competing offers.
5. Instruct a Solicitor for Conveyancing
Once your offer is accepted, the next step is to instruct a solicitor or conveyancer. Conveyancing is the process of transferring the legal ownership of the property from the seller to you. It involves preparing and reviewing paperwork, completing anti–money laundering checks, carrying out local authority and environmental searches, reviewing the draft contract, raising enquiries to clarify any issues, handling the exchange of money, and finally instructing when you can collect your keys. In short, they make sure the property legally becomes yours and that there are no hidden surprises after you move in.
Choosing the Right Conveyancer
You’ll usually be offered a conveyancer recommendation by the estate agent, and they often try to hard-sell you on using their “trusted partner.” While it’s fine to ask for a quote, don’t commit straight away. Always get at least three quotes — one from the estate agent’s recommendation, one from your mortgage broker’s suggestion, and one from your own research. In my case, I collected quotes from at least 10 different conveyancer and spoke to each one of them before deciding the one that I wanted to instruct.
The cheapest option isn’t always the best, but being expensive doesn’t guarantee quality either. What truly matters is how responsive, transparent, and experienced they are. Check online reviews, see if they provide a dedicated case handler, and ask how they’ll update you (email, phone, or via an online portal). Once you find one, always verify their accreditation on The Law Society website. Choose one that has CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) and practices in residential conveyancing. Also, make sure that your solicitor is not the same firm representing the seller, as this would create a conflict of interest and they legally cannot act for both sides. Remember, choosing the wrong solicitor could put your property purchase at risk.
Many modern conveyancers now offer online tracking systems where you can follow progress, upload documents, and see each stage move forward — very handy if you’re working full-time or busy with family life. I used LPL. They were the cheapest and offered online tracking system in an app. But I don’t have any strong recommendation for them. They were good, but I think you can get better conveyancers.
Before finalising, ask a few practical questions:
- Are there any hidden or extra charges?
- Do they work with all major lenders in the UK?
- Are they going on a long holiday soon?
-Do they include a free Will service (some do)?
Remember, this can often be the rate-limiting step in your home-buying process. Having the right conveyancer can save you weeks of delay and a lot of stress later.
The process starts with identity and anti–money laundering checks. Any unexplained transaction, cash deposit, or gifted money can raise red flags at this stage. If you’re using gift money from family, your solicitor will likely need to perform anti–money laundering checks on the donors as well.
Around this time, you’ll also finalise your mortgage deal. Remember, your solicitor acts for both you and your lender, so make sure they are approved by your mortgage provider. If not, you may need to switch solicitors mid-process, which can cause unnecessary delays.
Once your mortgage offer is received, your solicitor will ask you to sign the mortgage deed, which legally confirms your acceptance of the mortgage terms.
Searches and Draft Contract
After signing the mortgage deed, your solicitor will ask for your consent to proceed with property searches —local authority search, drainage and water search, environmental search, and land registry checks. These searches cost money, so if you’re still unsure about buying the property, hold off on approving them until you’re confident to proceed.
The seller’s solicitor will then prepare a draft contract and send it to your solicitor, who will review it carefully and raise legal enquiries where needed. You’ll receive a copy too, and if your surveyor (more on this in the next step) highlights any concerns during the inspection, ask your solicitor to raise those issues as formal enquiries as well.
Replies, Searches result, and Buyer’s Report
Once your solicitor receives the replies to their enquiries and the search results, they’ll review everything to ensure there are no hidden issues — such as planning restrictions, boundary disputes, or service charge irregularities.
If all is satisfactory, your solicitor will prepare a Buyer’s Report, summarising everything you need to know about the property and confirming whether it’s safe to proceed. Once you’re happy, you’ll be asked to sign the title deeds. For both the mortgage deed and title deeds, you’ll need an independent witness (not a family member) to countersign.
At this point, you may wish to set up a property alert on the HM Land Registry website. This free service sends you an email notification whenever there is any activity or change related to your property’s title plan, helping you stay vigilant and protected against potential fraud.
Exchange of Contracts and Deposit Transfer
When everything checks out, your solicitor will get ready for exchange of contracts. Before doing this, they will give you a phone call to confirm your consent to proceed — this is your final go-ahead before the purchase becomes legally binding.
From this point onward, the purchase is legally binding. Neither you nor the seller can back out without serious financial consequences.
You’ll now be asked to transfer your deposit to your solicitor. Important tips:
- Do not use mobile banking apps — large transfers may be blocked.
- Visit your bank in person and request a CHAPS transfer.
-Double, triple, and quadruple check your solicitor’s banking details both in official emails and verbally over the phone before sending money.
- Banks usually charge a small CHAPS fee, but it’s worth it for security.
At exchange, you’ll also need to have building insurance in place. This is a condition that lenders require before releasing mortgage funds. The insurance protects the property from structural damage such as fire, flood, or storm.
A useful tip: by paying a slightly higher premium, you can often bundle contents insurance and home emergency cover with your building insurance. This means your furniture, appliances, and unexpected repairs (like boiler breakdowns or plumbing issues) are also covered from day one. It’s a small extra cost for significant peace of mind.
Completion and Key Collection
After completion, your solicitor will contact you to confirm everything is finalised and let you know when and where to collect your keys. This is usually the moment you’ve been waiting for — the official start of your new home journey!
6. Surveys, Securing Your Mortgage Deal and mover protection
This isn’t really the next step after conveyancing — both these processes actually run side by side. While your solicitor is busy handling the legal paperwork, your lender will be finalising the mortgage and arranging their own valuation survey. At the same time, you’ll want to arrange your independent survey to make sure the property is structurally sound and worth what you’re paying.
Mortgage Valuation
Once your mortgage application is submitted, your lender will send out their own valuer to assess the property. But it’s important to understand — this mortgage valuation is purely for the bank’s benefit, not yours. It helps the lender confirm that the property is worth at least the amount they’re lending to you, so that if you default, they can recover their money.
In most cases, this valuation is a very brief inspection — sometimes even done remotely using comparable sales data — and it won’t highlight any hidden defects, damp, or structural issues. So, even if the bank gives the green light, that doesn’t mean the house is free from problems. That’s why you should always commission your own survey for peace of mind.
Independent Property Surveys
For your own protection, it’s strongly recommended to hire a RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) qualified surveyor. They work independently from lenders and estate agents and can provide an unbiased assessment of the property’s condition.
There are three main levels of survey, depending on the property’s age, type, and condition:
- RICS Level 1 – Condition Report: The most basic and cheapest survey (usually £300–£500). It gives a summary of the property’s general condition and highlights urgent defects, but it doesn’t include advice or cost estimates for repairs. Best suited for new or recently built properties.
- RICS Level 2 – HomeBuyer Report: The most common choice for first-time buyers and standard properties. It costs around £400–£800. It covers everything in the Level 1 report but also looks at potential structural issues, damp, subsidence, insulation, and major defects. You can get it with or without a valuation.
- RICS Level 3 – Full Structural (Building) Survey: The most detailed option, costing roughly £700–£1,200, depending on the property size. Recommended for older homes, properties that have been significantly altered, or those that look like they need work. It provides in-depth analysis, repair advice, estimated costs, and maintenance recommendations.
If you’re buying a new build, you might instead opt for a snagging survey, where a surveyor inspects for small defects or poor finishes that the builder should fix before you move in.
Why a Survey Matters?
A good survey can save you thousands of pounds later. It can uncover hidden problems such as damp, roof leaks, faulty wiring, or structural movement — things that are easy to miss during a normal viewing. Based on the findings, you can:
- Renegotiate the price with the seller,
-Ask them to fix issues before completion, or
- Reconsider the purchase entirely if the problems are major.
Also, as mentioned in the previous step, if your surveyor points out anything concerning — like missing planning permissions or potential drainage issues — ask your solicitor to raise these as formal enquiries with the seller’s solicitor. This ensures everything is legally clarified before you exchange contracts.
Securing the Mortgage Deal
Once your lender receives the valuation and all your paperwork is in order, they will issue a formal mortgage offer. Before you sign anything, it’s crucial to carefully check the Key Facts Illustration (KFI) — this is the official document that summarises the terms of your mortgage and should reflect exactly what you have agreed.
When reviewing the KFI, make sure to check the following:
- Correct personal details: your full name and any co-borrowers’ names.
- Date of the document: ensure it is current and matches your mortgage offer timeline.
- Source of the KFI: was it created by your broker or directly by the lender?
- Arrangement fee: the upfront fee charged by the lender for setting up the mortgage.
- Valuation fee: the fee paid to the lender for the mortgage valuation.
- Fund transfer fee: any costs for transferring money to your solicitor.
- Interest rate and product details: verify whether it is fixed, variable, or tracker, and for how long.
- Overpayments: check if overpayments are allowed, any limits, and whether there are penalties for early repayment.
- Other fees and charges: such as exit fees, redemption charges, or broker fees if applicable.
Once you’ve checked everything and are satisfied that the KFI is correct, your solicitor will ask you to sign the mortgage deed. This legally confirms your mortgage agreement and allows your solicitor to proceed with the remaining steps, including completing searches, raising enquiries, and ultimately preparing for exchange of contracts.
If you used a broker, they could help double-check that the KFI matches the product you selected and that no hidden fees have been added. This step might feel tedious but getting it right now can save you headaches later — once the mortgage deed is signed, changes are far more complicated and sometimes costly.
Tip: Timing Both Together
The mortgage process and the conveyancing process move at different speeds — sometimes one gets held up while the other advances quickly. Stay in touch with both your broker and solicitor to keep them aligned. Respond to document requests quickly and chase politely when things go quiet. Being proactive can easily shave off a few weeks from the process.
Movers Protection
There are protection services available that can help you reclaim moving expenses if a property deal falls through no fault of your own, supporting ongoing sales or alternative purchases. You may wish to consider purchasing such a service. It typically costs around £9 per month, and you will usually pay for 4–5 months until you complete the purchase. As you can imagine, losing a property purchase can result in significant financial loss, so having this protection can provide real peace of mind. I used lifetime legal for that protection (again they are not sponsoring this space).
7. Moving in and post completion
Preparing for Move-In
Moving In
On a moving day-
- Take a final walk around the property to ensure everything matches the contract.
- Collect all keys from your solicitor or estate agent.
- Check meters, heating, and water.
- Change the locks straight away. Do check if your door is a multi-point/UPVC type first, as some of those need a specialist. Changing locks is important because if previous owners, tenants, or contractors still have keys and someone else uses them to enter and steal, your contents insurance claim could be invalidated or questioned; insurers expect reasonable precautions to be taken. If the property is leasehold, also check if any landlord or management company permissions are needed before changing locks.
- Document any pre-existing issues with photos — this can help avoid disputes later.
Post completion-
Your solicitor will then make an application in the land registry to register your name in the title plan. This may take another 3-6 months. At this point if you have not already done so, you may wish to purchase few other protection options:
- Life Insurance: Pays a lump sum to your nominated beneficiaries if you pass away. It ensures your mortgage or other financial obligations can be covered.
- Life and Critical Illness Insurance: Pays out either if you pass away or if you are diagnosed with a serious illness (such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke). This can help cover your mortgage, bills, or living expenses during a difficult time.
- Income Protection: Provides a monthly income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. This can help maintain your mortgage payments and household expenses until you are able to return to work.
Congratulations — You Made It!
Our house buying timeline
Timeline | Activities |
March/April 2025 | Started viewing houses |
29th April 2025 | First viewing of the house we later bought |
29th April 2025 | First contact with our mortgage advisor |
1st May 2025 | Opening offer placed - rejected |
2nd May 2025 | Second offer placed – rejected |
3rd – 19th May 2025 | Heartbroken, we started looking for other houses, but couldn’t find more lovely than this one. |
20th May 2025 | Decided to put third offer (20K below the initial asking price, but 5K above the renegotiated price) – accepted.
Agreement in principle submitted to the estate agent |
21st May 2025 | Estate agent started Anti money laundering check. House marked SOLD STC.
Filled and returned mortgage fact find form and other documents to our mortgage advisor |
21st – 23rd May 2025 | Started collecting quotes from Conveyancing solicitors |
23rd May 2025 | Decided to go with the cheapest one. Instructed our Solicitors. |
26th May 2025 | Anti money laundering check by solicitors completed (6 months of financial history scrutinized) |
29th May 2025 | Estate agent generated memorandum of sale |
4th June 2025 | Initial fees to pay for necessary disbursement deposited to the solicitor’s account |
13th June 2025 | First set of documents received from the solicitors – Title plan, property information form, fitting and content form and set of enquiries raised by our solicitors |
15th June 2025 | Title plan signed and returned to our solicitor via email |
16th June 2025 | Consented to our solicitor to start searches (Mortgage advisor assured that lender have already accepted our application hence okay to proceed for searches) |
21st June 2025 | Formal mortgage offer and illustrations received from the lender |
23rd June 2025 | Mortgage deed signed and returned to the solicitor via post |
3rd July 2025 | Level 3 survey done to the property, initial impression phoned through by the surveyor on the same day |
8th July 2025 | Full level 3 survey report generated – no major issue with the property |
9th July 2025 | Asked our solicitor to raise couple of further enquiries to the seller’s solicitors as advised on our level 3 survey report |
25th July 2025 | Received Environmental search, Drainage & water search, local authority search reports and no-search chancel indemnity insurance from our solicitor |
29th July 2025 | Further enquiries raised by our solicitors to the seller’s solicitors based on search report |
31st July 2025 | Contacted our mortgage advisor to ask if lender will consider decreasing the interest rate in line of bank of England decision to reduce interest rate |
1st August 2025 | Received reduced interest rate mortgage offer from the lender |
8th August 2025 | All replies to the enquiries satisfied |
11th August 2025 | Estate agent notified that the client on top of the chain agreed to break the chain, so that our seller can move out sooner than expected |
28th August 2025 | Original contract, TR1 form (transfer of registered title), Stamp duty land tax form and draft completion statement received from our solicitor |
29th August 2025 | Original contract and TR1 form signed and returned via post. Stamp duty land tax form signed and returned via email. |
3rd September 2025 | Final report on title plan and buyers guide, Deed of covenant, and responses to all the enquiries received from the solicitor |
4th September 2025 | Final report signed and returned via email, Deed of covenant signed and returned via post |
9th September 2025 | Final compliance review started before exchange by our solicitor |
10th September 2025 | Deposit funds transferred to our solicitor |
12th September 2025 | Contract exchanged, mortgage fee released and completed on the same day |
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