Buying a home
Understand buying costs and the purchase process for the home’s UK nation.
Buying a home combines finance, property investigation and legal work with the practical move. Build a budget for fees and purchase tax as well as the deposit, then keep the payment dates visible.
Start in the right nation
The process and property tax differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Use the relevant guide and ask your solicitor or conveyancer to explain the binding milestones and handover arrangements for your purchase.
The guides below cover viewings, surveys, offers, chains and less straightforward ownership arrangements. Use the moving budget and mortgage repayment illustration to organise your own figures without treating an estimate as an offer.
Buying a leasehold home
Identify the information and specialist advice needed for a leasehold purchase, with clear nation applicability.
Read the guide BuyingBuying a new-build home
Plan reservation, timing, snagging and moving arrangements for a new-build purchase.
Read the guide BuyingBuying and selling at the same time
Coordinate budgets, transaction milestones and moving contingencies for linked transactions.
Read the guide BuyingBuying in a property chain
Plan communication, dependencies and moving arrangements in a chain.
Read the guide BuyingBuying through shared ownership or shared equity
Identify scheme-specific costs, restrictions and advice needs, routing users by the scheme and UK nation.
Read the guide BuyingConveyancing explained
Understand the role of conveyancers and route users to the correct national purchase process.
Read the guide BuyingFirst-time buyer checklist
Follow the major preparation, purchase and moving tasks for a first home.
Read the guide BuyingHouse viewing checklist
Record consistent observations and questions when comparing properties.
Read the guide BuyingMaking an offer on a home
Prepare an offer and follow the appropriate national process with professional support.
Read the guide BuyingPreparing to buy a home
Organise the information, budget and practical decisions needed before viewing.
Read the guide BuyingProperty surveys explained
Understand survey choices, limitations and questions to ask a suitable professional.
Read the guide BuyingSaving for a deposit and upfront costs
Set a saving target that includes both the deposit and other purchase costs.
Read the guide BuyingThe costs of buying a home
Plan the full cash budget for a purchase, with tax and process routes by UK nation.
Read the guideTurn your reading into a plan. Put the next steps on your personal moving checklist. Create your checklist