Consider the area and property type that appeals most to you. What budget can you realistically afford? What should the locality offer, from schools to shops and transport?
Work out the cost of moving
Before you search, get a clear idea of your budget by understanding the costs of things like fees, surveys, lending charges, service connection, searches and redecoration.
Arrange your mortgage
Our mortgage and protection advisers are on hand to advise you on the entire mortgage market and assess whether the home loan you are thinking about is affordable for you using a detailed budget planner.
Instruct a property solicitor
A property solicitor moves your purchase on efficiently and quickly, taking care of the legal and administrative details.
Either register at our branch or use rightmove
Make your offer
Let us know your offer, and we’ll contact the seller to begin negotiations. Consider things like your available funds — are you in a chain? Your timescales, too: can you do the deal at a time that suits them too? Proof of agreement from your mortgage lender also helps show you can move forward. Once the offer is accepted, we’ll send it in writing.
Sale agreed
Once your offer is accepted (subject to contract), you call it ‘sale agreed’. Your solicitor will begin to work through all the legal aspects of the sale and will receive the memorandum of sale from the seller’s solicitor to confirm acceptance of the offer. The formal mortgage application now begins, and the seller’s solicitor sends copies of all relevant documents, including a draft contract of sale. Your solicitor will review these and prepare the documents for the exchange of contracts.
Finalise on your mortgage
Your mortgage lender will need a surveyor to conduct a mortgage valuation of the property. We provide a wide range of property valuation and survey services. Once your mortgage lender is satisfied, they will send you a mortgage offer.
