Most people start their home-buying journey by browsing property sites. That is completely understandable. Looking at houses is the fun part. But viewing properties before you have done the groundwork is a bit like turning up to a job interview without knowing who you are meeting or what the role involves. You might get lucky, but more likely you will come away frustrated.
The buyers who move smoothly through the home buying process are the ones who got themselves sorted before they stepped inside a single front door. They knew what they could afford. They had their finances in order. They had already spoken to a mortgage broker. And when the right property came along, they were ready to move quickly and confidently.
This is the checklist that gets you there. Not a vague list of things to be aware of, but a practical, step-by-step guide to what actually needs to happen before you start viewing homes as a first time buyer.
Before anything else, it helps to understand the shape of the whole house buying process so that nothing comes as a surprise. A lot of first time buyers know roughly how it works, but the gaps in that knowledge tend to cause stress later on.
At its simplest, the process runs like this: you get your finances in order, get a mortgage in principle, find a property, make an offer, instruct a conveyancing solicitor, go through the full mortgage application, complete searches and surveys, exchange contracts, and then complete. From the moment your offer is accepted to the day you get the keys, you should budget for anywhere between eight and sixteen weeks, though it can be shorter or longer depending on the chain and individual circumstances.
Knowing this timeline means you can plan properly. You know when to book a removals company, when to notify your local council of your new address, and roughly when you will need funds available for each stage. The more you understand before you start, the less stressful the process feels when you are in the middle of it.
Estate agents are working on behalf of the seller. Their job is to get the best outcome for their client, which means they are assessing every buyer who walks through the door. They want to know you are a serious buyer who can actually proceed, not someone who is browsing without the finances in place.
When you enquire about a property or book a viewing, you will often be asked whether you have a mortgage in principle. Some estate agencies will not book viewings without one. Even those that do will prioritise buyers who can demonstrate they are mortgage-ready when offers come in.
Having your mortgage in principle sorted before you contact any estate agent puts you in a completely different position. It signals that you have already done the groundwork, you know what you can afford, and you are ready to move when the right property comes up. In a competitive market, that matters a great deal.
You can read more about how the mortgage in principle process works in our mortgage in principle explained guide.
Most people think about appointing a conveyancing solicitor after they have had an offer accepted. In reality, the smartest buyers research and shortlist solicitors before they start viewing, so they are ready to instruct immediately when an offer goes through.
The legal process after an offer is accepted cannot begin until a solicitor is in place. Every day spent finding one after the fact is a day added to your overall timeline. In a chain where other parties are already moving, that delay can cause real friction.
A conveyancing solicitor manages everything on the legal side of your property purchase. They carry out property searches with the local council and other bodies, review the title deeds, raise and respond to enquiries with the seller's solicitor, and handle the transfer of funds on completion day. The conveyancing process takes time and runs in parallel with your mortgage application, so the earlier it starts, the better.
Conveyancing fees vary between firms, but you should budget for somewhere between £1,000 and £2,000 including disbursements. Get quotes from two or three firms and check whether they offer a no-move, no-fee guarantee. It is also worth checking that they are on your chosen lender's approved panel, as not all solicitors are accepted by all lenders.
The point at which you exchange contracts is the point at which the sale becomes legally committed. Before exchange, either party can walk away. After exchange, you cannot. If you pull out after exchanging, you will lose your deposit. If the seller pulls out, they can be sued for breach of contract.
This is why everything needs to be in order before exchange happens. Your mortgage offermust be in place. Your solicitor must have completed all property searches and resolved any outstanding enquiries. Your deposit funds must be ready to transfer. And a completion date must be agreed with all parties in the chain.
It is also the point at which buildings insurance must be active. From the moment you exchange contracts, the property is effectively your responsibility, even though you do not yet have the keys. If something happens to it between exchange and completion, you need to be covered. Your mortgage lender will require proof of buildings insurance as a condition of the mortgage.
Buildings insurance is not optional. Every mortgage lender requires it as a condition of the mortgage, and it needs to be in place from the date of exchange, not from the date you move in. This catches a surprising number of first time buyers off guard.
Buildings insurance covers the structure of the property itself against things like fire, flood, subsidence and storm damage. It covers the full value of rebuilding the property, not the market value or purchase price. These figures can be quite different, particularly for older properties, so it is important to insure for the correct rebuild cost rather than just the amount you paid.
Contents insurance covers your belongings and is separate. Both are sensible to arrange before you move in, but only buildings insurance is a requirement of your lender. Your mortgage broker can often help you arrange this alongside your mortgage, or point you in the right direction if you prefer to sort it independently.
A mortgage valuation is not the same as a house survey. This is one of the most common misunderstandings in the home buying process and it costs some buyers dearly.
The mortgage valuation is carried out by the lender to satisfy themselves that the property is worth what you are paying for it. It is done for the lender's benefit, not yours. It does not check the condition of the property in any meaningful detail and you may not even receive a copy of it.
A home survey, on the other hand, is a survey you commission for your own benefit. It tells you about the actual condition of the property, flags any structural problems, and highlights things that may need attention or cost money to fix in the near future. There are different levels of survey available, and for most properties, a Level 2 HomeBuyer Report is a sensible minimum. Older properties or those in poor condition warrant a Level 3 Building Survey, which is more thorough.
A survey is not cheap, typically between £400 and £1,500 depending on the property and level of survey, but it is considerably cheaper than discovering a major problem after you have already completed. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has a directory for finding a qualified surveyor in your area.
The deposit is the big number, but the additional costs of buying a property add up quickly and catch a lot of first time buyers short. Going into the process with a realistic budget for everything, not just the deposit, is one of the most practical things you can do.
On stamp duty, first time buyers in England and Northern Ireland currently benefit from relief on properties up to £425,000, meaning you pay stamp duty only on the portion above that threshold, up to £625,000. Above £625,000, the standard rates apply. These thresholds can change, so it is worth checking the current rules at GOV.UK before you budget.
Once your offer is accepted and your solicitor is instructed, the conveyancing process runs in the background while you are dealing with the mortgage application. Understanding what is happening on the legal side helps you follow progress and know when to expect updates.
Your solicitor will apply for property searches, which typically include a local authority search, a drainage search, an environmental search, and sometimes additional searches depending on the property type or local area. These are ordered from the local council and other relevant bodies and can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the area.
They will also review the title deeds and raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor if anything needs clarification. Once the searches come back, the mortgage offer is in hand, and all enquiries are resolved, your solicitor will prepare a report on title and advise you on anything worth knowing before you commit.
The conveyancing process is one of the main variables in the overall timeline. Choosing a solicitor who is communicative, organised, and familiar with the legal process in your area can genuinely speed things up.
If you take nothing else from this article, take this. The buyers who have the smoothest experience are the ones who did the preparation before the excitement took over. They sorted their finances, got proper advice from a mortgage advisor, and walked into viewings knowing exactly what they could afford and what the next steps looked like.
Here is the condensed version of what needs to be in place before you start viewing homes seriously.
Getting a mortgage for the first time is more straightforward than it might seem, particularly when you have the right advice behind you. Mortgage lenders assess your monthly paymentaffordability based on your income, your outgoings, and the size of your deposit. They will want to see bank statements, payslips or tax returns if you are self-employed, and evidence of your deposit funds.
The deposit you put down directly affects the mortgage products available to you. A larger deposit gives you access to better rates, lower monthly payment amounts, and a wider choice of mortgage lenders. Even moving from a 5% deposit to a 10% deposit can open up meaningfully better products and help you save money over the life of the mortgage.
Different individual lenders have different approaches to first time buyers. Some are more flexible on income multiples, some have specific products for first property purchases, and some are more generous when it comes to assessing property type. A broker who knows which mortgage lenders suit your specific situation is genuinely valuable here, particularly if your circumstances are not completely straightforward.
You can use our mortgage calculators to get a rough idea of what your monthly payment might look like based on different borrowing amounts and rates. Bear in mind that these are estimates only. The actual figure will depend on the product you end up on, your deposit, and the results of your full mortgage application.
Location is the one thing about a property you cannot change. The condition can be improved, the layout can sometimes be altered, but where it sits is permanent. Spending time thinking carefully about location before you start viewing can save you a lot of wasted trips and stop you falling for a property in an area that does not actually work for your life.
Think about transport links and how they affect your daily commute. Think about schools if that is relevant now or might be in the future. Think about access to services, green space, outdoor space, and the general feel of the local area. Walk around at different times of day if you can, not just during a daytime viewing.
It is also worth looking at what is planned for the area. A quick search on the local councilplanning portal can reveal upcoming developments, road changes, or new infrastructure that could affect the property positively or negatively. Your solicitor's property searches will pick up some of this, but doing your own research before you make an offer is time well spent.
The first property you buy will almost certainly not be your dream home. That is true for most people and it is not a reason to hold off buying. Getting onto the property ladder is about making a sensible first move, building equity, and putting yourself in a better position for whatever comes next.
Being realistic about what your budget gets you in your preferred location, understanding the additional costs involved, and going in with proper advice rather than guesswork are the things that make the difference between a stressful experience and a straightforward one.
The buyers who struggle are usually the ones who started the process without being prepared. The ones who find the whole thing manageable are, almost without exception, the ones who sorted themselves out first. That is what this checklist is for.
Get in touch early in your property journey, ideally before viewing or making an offer – to give yourself the best chance. Whether you’re exploring your borrowing capacity or ready to apply we’re here to help from the very beginning.
Ready to get started
Fee Free Mortgage Broker is a trading style of Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FRN 1011890).
Registered in England & Wales (Company No. 11772228).
Registered office: Nix Business Centre, 2 Park Court, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, Southampton, SO51 9DH. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, registration number ZA488146.© 2026 , Inc. All rights reserved.
Information on this website is for general guidance only and is accurate at the time of writing. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Mortgage criteria and lender policies can change; please speak to an FCA-authorised adviser for up-to-date advice tailored to your circumstances. Some buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the FCA.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
© 2026 All rights reserved.
