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First-time buyer guides
Buying your first home involves more decisions than most people expect. These guides cover the main questions UK first-time buyers face — from building a deposit and understanding affordability to navigating stamp duty and the costs that catch buyers off guard.
The first-time buyer process, step by step
Buying your first home in the UK typically follows the same broad sequence: save a deposit (usually a minimum of 5% of the purchase price, though 10-15% opens up better rates), get a Decision in Principle from a lender to confirm roughly what you can borrow, find a property and make an offer, then instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal work while your mortgage application is formally underwritten. Alongside the deposit, budget for stamp duty (first-time buyers pay 0% up to £300,000 in England and Northern Ireland, on purchases up to £500,000), a survey, legal fees and moving costs — together these can add several thousand pounds on top of the deposit itself.
Affordability is assessed on income multiples and a stress test, not just the deposit you've saved, so it's worth checking what you could realistically borrow before house-hunting seriously. Government schemes such as Lifetime ISAs and shared ownership can also reduce the deposit or purchase price needed — the guides below cover each of these in detail.
Articles
How much deposit do I need to buy a house UK?
Deposit tables by property price, LTV bands and savings strategies.
How much mortgage can I afford?
How lenders calculate affordability and what affects your limit.
How much can I borrow for a mortgage?
Income multiples, stress tests and lender criteria explained.
Hidden costs of buying a house UK
Solicitor fees, surveys, stamp duty and the costs buyers often miss.
How long does mortgage approval take?
Timelines from application to offer — and what can slow it down.
Credit score for a UK mortgage
What lenders look for and how to improve your score before applying.
What salary do I need for a £300k mortgage?
Income requirements and affordability calculations for a £300,000 mortgage.
Mistakes first-time buyers make
The most common and costly errors — from overpaying to skipping surveys — and how to avoid them.
How much savings should I have after buying?
Emergency fund targets, recommended reserves, and why cash buffers matter after completion.
Lifetime ISA guide UK
The 25% government bonus, £450k property cap, withdrawal penalties, and whether a LISA beats a SIPP for first-time buyers.
Shared ownership explained UK
How shared ownership works, staircasing, service charges, and whether it's the right route for you.
Buying a house in London guide
Deposits, affordability, estate agents, and the realities of buying in one of the world's most expensive property markets.
Calculators for first-time buyers
First-Time Buyer Mortgage Calculator
Monthly repayments with 5% deposit scenarios
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
Estimate how much you could borrow
Stamp Duty Calculator UK
SDLT on your purchase price — first-time buyer relief included
LBTT Calculator Scotland
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for Scottish purchases — different rates and FTB relief rules
LTT Calculator Wales
Land Transaction Tax for Welsh purchases — stamp duty is abolished for first-time buyers in Wales
Deposit Savings Calculator
How long to save your target deposit
Related topics
About the author
✓ Editorially reviewed — all Poqet guides are checked for factual accuracy before publication and updated when UK rates or legislation change. Editorial Policy