Linkedin Facebook X
Count Ready Logo

Your first home starts with a clearer plan

First-time buyer guides.
Know your next step.

Saving for a deposit? Working out what you could afford? Find clear explanations of the mortgage and buying questions that matter before you commit to your first home.

Find a guide Get first-time buyer advice

Read at your own pace. Ask for help when you need it.

These guides provide general information, not a personal mortgage recommendation. Rules, rates and lender criteria can change. Check the date of each article and confirm what applies to you.

Choose your starting point

What would you like to understand?

You do not need to learn everything at once. Start with the question closest to your plans, then explore the detail.

Your deposit

Is a 5% or 10% deposit better?

Compare the trade-offs between saving more, keeping a cash buffer and buying sooner.

Compare deposit options
Your borrowing

How much could I borrow?

Understand the income, spending and lender checks that shape a first-time buyer’s borrowing options.

Understand borrowing
Your buying costs

Will I need to pay property tax?

Find the relevant rules for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, and plan for other buying costs.

Explore tax and costs
Getting prepared

When should I speak to an adviser?

See how early mortgage advice can help you prepare, even before you have found a home.

Plan your next step
Family support

Can my parents help me buy?

Explore family support options, the evidence that may be needed and the risks to consider together.

Explore family help
Protecting your plans

What insurance should I consider?

Learn how different types of cover work and which questions to ask about your own needs.

Understand protection

The full collection

Explore more first-time buyer guides

Browse the articles below for more questions about buying your first home. Dates shown are publication dates; check each article for its latest review information.

Before you go further

A few useful answers.

Use the guides to prepare your questions. Get advice on the choices that depend on your circumstances.

Where should I start as a first-time buyer?

Start with your savings, regular spending and a monthly payment you could comfortably manage. Read the deposit and borrowing guides, then allow for property tax, legal fees, surveys and moving costs. A mortgage adviser can help you check the assumptions before you apply.

Can these guides tell me whether I will get a mortgage?

No. These guides explain general principles. A lender’s decision depends on your circumstances, the property and its criteria at the time you apply. A calculator result or an agreement in principle is not a guaranteed mortgage offer.

Are the buying rules the same across the UK?

No. Property taxes and parts of the buying process differ across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Check the rules for where you are buying, and the publication or review date of any guide. Confirm current tax rules and lender criteria before making a decision.

From reading to a practical plan

Make sense of what this means for you.

Your income, deposit and plans will shape your options. Talk them through with Count Ready and understand what needs checking before you apply.

Request a free initial consultation Call 01245 934515

The initial consultation is free. Fees for further work vary by case and are agreed before chargeable work begins. See our Terms of Business.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.