Buying your first home can be a daunting experience. Everyone’s heard the old saying – aside from death and divorce it’s the most stressful experience you can undertake.

However, if you take a step back and work through the process calmly, one step at a time, it’s really not too difficult. It’s like learning to drive – before you start it can seem scary, but just remember that millions of people have done it before so it can’t be too difficult!

Following is a rough guide to the moving process to get you started:

1. How much can you afford?

First thing’s first – a mortgage is a serious commitment. If you are buying with friends or a partner, make sure that all parties are certain about their obligations. Talk to mortgage advisors to see what you can afford. It is important that you gain professional advice before making such an important decision.

We can compare a number of different mortgage options on your behalf – click here for more information.

2. Finding a property

Once you have agreed a mortgage ‘in principle’, it’s time to find a whitehot property that meets your requirements. Our search tool enables you to refine your search by location, price and incentives available.

Arrange a viewing to see if your chosen property meets your requirements. It might be worth bringing along a friend or parent with home buying experience to make sure you spot any defects that could affect the property price. Once you are sure it’s the right property for you, it’s time to make an offer.

The beauty of whitehot properties is that they are already priced to sell so it’s unlikely that you’ll have to make an offer below the asking price. It’s your prerogative of course, but if you offer the full price, it’s more likely that the seller will accept your offer and take it off the market immediately, rather than holding on for a better offer.

3. It’s time for the legal side

Once you've had your offer accepted, the next step is to arrange for the legal side of your move. To make things easy for you, we offer a comprehensive ‘conveyancing service’ through our partner movewithus. We will take care of the legals on your behalf, making sure that the sale is progressed as quickly and efficiently as possible, with your best interests at heart. Click here for more information.

Your mortgage lender will carry out a valuation of your property and either agree or decline to lend you the money. If you have already set up an agreement with a mortgage lender ‘in principle’ at this time, it is more likely that your mortgage application will be agreed.

At this point, your conveyancing solicitor will carry out all necessary surveys and searches of the property. This would be the time to negotiate fixtures and fittings. After this is complete, the solicitor will finalise the details in the contract with the seller and confirm mortgage details with your mortgage lender. Usually you pay a deposit into your solicitor’s account, who holds it until exchange of contracts.

On the day of exchange of contracts, your solicitor exchanges contracts with the seller’s solicitor and sends the deposit over. A date for completion (when you can accept the key and move in), which will have been proposed beforehand, is agreed upon.

Your solicitor will liaise with your lender to ensure the mortgage is available on the completion date. He will then prepare the property transfer deed, which is signed by you and the seller and lodged with the seller’s solicitor until completion.

The mortgage lender transfers the money into your solicitor’s account ready for completion. On completion day, your solicitor transfers the money to the sellers’ solicitor in return for the transfer deed, Land Registry certificate and the keys.

The sale is completed!

Your solicitor arranges for the transfer deed to be stamped, pays the stamp duty and sends the transfer deed to the Land Registry to record you as the new owner. Your solicitor passes the deed to your mortgage lender as security for the loan and then sends you the bill for their services and costs.

That's it!