Buying on your own
A single applicant is assessed on their own accepted income and commitments. Allow for covering the whole household budget yourself.
Buying your first home
Understand what you could borrow, what your deposit needs to cover and how to prepare your application. Count Ready offers mortgage advice by phone and online across the UK.
Our initial consultation is free. Fees for further work vary by case and are agreed before chargeable work begins. See our advice fees.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Start with your situation
You do not need to have found a property to speak to us. We can discuss a savings target, review a planned purchase or help you prepare once an offer has been accepted.
Still saving? Work out the deposit and other costs you need to allow for, alongside a monthly budget you can live with.
Starting to view homes? Explore borrowing options and whether an agreement in principle would be a useful next step.
Ready to apply? Bring the property details and any deadline. We can review the evidence and explain the application work involved.
Your buying budget
Your borrowing depends on the lender’s assessment of your income, spending, existing debts, deposit and chosen mortgage term. An income multiple alone cannot tell you what a lender will offer.
Include childcare, travel, credit commitments and the running costs of your new home. Think about how payments would feel if your income fell or your mortgage rate increased.
Our mortgage affordability calculator gives a rough starting estimate. It is not a lending decision. Use the repayment calculator to explore payments at different rates and terms; its results are illustrations, not available mortgage offers.
Some mortgages allow a 5% deposit, but the options depend on you and the property. A larger deposit can widen your choice and may improve the rate available. It does not remove the lender’s affordability or credit checks.
Illustration only. If the lender values the home at the purchase price, these deposits mean borrowing 95% or 90% of its value, known as loan-to-value (LTV). Fees and other buying costs are extra. A lower valuation can leave a funding gap.
Lower-deposit or no-deposit products, where available, have additional conditions; they are not a general entitlement for first-time buyers.
If you have a recent rental history and little or no deposit, read our Track Record mortgage guide for renters for the lender-specific requirements, costs and risks.
Comparing mortgages
A first-time buyer mortgage is a mortgage used to buy your first home. Products and incentives vary, so the important question is whether the loan suits your circumstances and plans.
A fixed rate stays the same for an agreed period. A tracker follows a stated benchmark with a margin; other variable rates can change under the lender’s terms. Check what happens after an introductory deal ends.
Compare the rate, product fee, incentives and overall cost over the period you expect to keep the deal. Also check early repayment charges, overpayment limits and the conditions for taking a mortgage to another property.
With a repayment mortgage, payments cover interest and gradually reduce the loan. A longer term can lower monthly payments but usually increases the total interest paid.
Interest-only payments do not repay the original borrowing. That requires a credible repayment plan and suitable lender criteria; it should not be treated as a simple way to make a first home affordable.
Rates and products can change before you apply. We check the options available for your case and explain a recommendation using the lender’s mortgage illustration.
Different routes to a first home
Tell us about anything that could affect the application early. A lender’s policy on one detail can change which options are worth considering.
A single applicant is assessed on their own accepted income and commitments. Allow for covering the whole household budget yourself.
Both applicants’ finances matter. Joint borrowers are normally each responsible for the whole mortgage. Ask your conveyancer how to record unequal deposits and ownership shares.
The relevant income evidence depends on your business structure and trading history. Lenders can assess salary, dividends and profits differently.
The type, amount and age of a credit issue matter, as do your recent finances. Explain missed payments, defaults or other problems before making applications.
A genuine gifted deposit is different from a loan. Family-assisted arrangements can put a relative’s savings or home at risk, or make them responsible for borrowing.
Your immigration status and current residence help determine which lender criteria apply. British citizenship is not always required.
Yes, you can apply for a first-time buyer mortgage with EU Settlement Scheme settled status. You do not need to become a British citizen first. The lender still needs to accept your income, credit history, deposit and property; settled status does not guarantee a mortgage offer.
Start with the budget you can sustain. There is no deposit percentage or minimum UK credit-history period that applies to every settled-status applicant. Explain any overseas savings, income or debts early, and keep evidence of your deposit’s source. If buying jointly, both applicants’ circumstances need checking, including any difference in immigration status.
Before requesting an agreement in principle, tell the adviser your current country of residence and status, how long you have lived in the UK, and whether either buyer has owned property before. They can identify the lender’s evidence requirements. Use the official eVisa and share-code service when digital status evidence is needed. Do not send identity documents or share codes through the initial enquiry form.
Owning a home abroad, inheriting a share or buying with a previous owner can affect how a lender, tax authority or scheme treats your purchase. Settled status does not establish eligibility for first-time buyer tax relief or a homeownership scheme. Check the costs and schemes guidance below and ask your conveyancer to confirm your tax position.
Read our settled-status mortgage guidance for the detailed status checks. If you hold pre-settled status, use the pre-settled deposit guide; for another visa route, see mortgage advice for visa holders.
Discuss your first-home plans with Count Ready. We can help you work out what to prepare before applying.
Status guidance checked on 7 September 2026 against GOV.UK and published lender guidance. Lender requirements vary and must be checked for your application.
Check the lender’s property and deposit rules before committing to a reservation. Disclose developer incentives and discuss the expected build date, offer expiry and any delay. Flats, leases and building-safety documents may need additional checks. Our shared ownership mortgage guide explains the deposit, rent, service charges and rules for each UK nation.
Money beyond the deposit
A scheme can change how you fund a purchase, but you still need to afford the ongoing costs and meet any mortgage criteria. These are examples of current routes, not a complete list of local support.
You buy a share and pay rent on the rest, usually alongside service charges. Eligibility includes household-income limits and being unable to afford a suitable home outright. The deposit is generally based on the share you buy, but your budget must cover all monthly charges. Check the government guidance.
This route supports eligible households who cannot buy a suitable home without help. You usually fund 60–90% and the Scottish Government holds the remaining equity share. Local price thresholds and an assessment apply. Read the OMSE conditions.
Eligible homes cost up to £300,000 and must be bought from a registered builder. You need at least a 5% deposit and a qualifying repayment mortgage. Applications must be submitted by 31 March 2027. The equity mortgage has repayment and cost conditions. Check eligibility in Wales.
Co-Ownership assesses applicants who live in Northern Ireland and cannot buy a suitable home without support. You buy a share and pay rent on the remainder. Applicant, property, savings and affordability rules apply. Check the current applicant criteria.
Saving with a Lifetime ISA? A qualifying first-home withdrawal normally requires a property costing no more than £450,000, a mortgage, a conveyancer and at least 12 months since your first payment. Other eligibility rules apply. An unauthorised withdrawal normally has a 25% charge, which can reduce your own savings as well as the bonus. Check the official withdrawal rules before relying on the money.
Scheme information checked on 7 September 2026. Availability, funding and eligibility can change; check the linked provider before making a commitment.
Preparing to apply
We review your circumstances, deposit, income and commitments. We explain our service and fees so you can decide whether to proceed.
An AIP, sometimes called a decision in principle, gives a provisional indication of borrowing based on the information supplied. It is not a mortgage offer. Check whether the lender uses a soft or hard credit search before proceeding. Read how a mortgage in principle works and what happens next.
Once the property and purchase details are available, we explain the recommended option and help prepare the required evidence. The lender checks the application, credit information and property valuation, and may ask further questions.
If approved, the lender issues a formal offer with conditions and an expiry date. Your conveyancer handles the legal purchase. The timing of binding commitments differs across the UK, particularly Scotland’s missives process; take legal advice before committing.
Confirm funds, insurance requirements and the completion arrangements with the relevant professionals. Check when the first mortgage payment is due and whether it differs from the regular monthly amount.
The lender sets the exact documents and periods required. You do not need to send documents with your initial enquiry.
Working with Count Ready
We help you make sense of lender criteria, compare suitable options and understand the reasons for a mortgage recommendation. If you proceed, we help prepare the application and deal with mortgage queries along the way. The lender makes the lending decision; your conveyancer handles the legal work.
We consider mortgages from lenders across the market, but our service does not include deals available only by applying directly to a lender. See our Terms of Business for the scope of advice and commission disclosure.
Count Ready Limited is an appointed representative of Connect IFA Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Count Ready’s firm reference number is 976111; Connect IFA’s is 441505. Check Count Ready on the FCA Register.
Read about Count Ready and how our phone and online service works.
A lender, tax authority and homeownership scheme can each use a different definition. Tell your adviser and conveyancer about any property you have owned or inherited, including a share or a home abroad. Qualifying for a mortgage product does not automatically mean you qualify for tax relief or a scheme.
No. You can approach a lender directly or use a mortgage broker. A broker can compare options within their advice scope, explain a recommendation and help with the application. Check which lenders and products are covered, the fees and how the adviser is paid before choosing a service.
You may still be able to apply jointly for a mortgage, but the lender may not classify the application as a first-time buyer case. Scheme eligibility and property tax relief have separate rules. Ask your adviser and conveyancer to check the position for both buyers before budgeting for any benefit.
Tell the adviser and lender if the money must be repaid. A deposit loan is not a gift, and its repayments can affect affordability and lender acceptance. If family members want to retain a stake in the property or secure their money against it, the lender and conveyancer also need to know.
Find out the reason before trying another lender. Check for errors in your credit files and application details, and keep the lender’s explanation. The issue might relate to affordability, evidence, credit history or the property. An adviser can review whether there is another suitable route or whether it would be better to prepare further first.
There is no reliable timetable for every case. Document availability, lender workloads, valuation queries and the property can affect the time to a mortgage offer. The legal purchase has its own timetable. Tell your adviser about reservation deadlines and other commitments, and avoid treating a provisional decision as confirmation that you can complete by a particular date.
Your next step
Request a free initial consultation. If useful, tell us whether you are saving, viewing homes or preparing an application, and where in the UK you plan to buy.
We use your details to respond to this enquiry. Read our Privacy Policy. Please do not include account numbers, identity documents or detailed financial records.
This form does not ask you to join a marketing list.
We will contact you to discuss your situation, explain the service and agree the next steps. This is an enquiry, not a mortgage application or a guarantee of an offer.
Fees for further work vary by case and are agreed before chargeable work. Read about our fees.
Prefer to call? 01245 934515. Tell us if you need information explained differently or would like someone to support the conversation.
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This page provides general information, not a personal mortgage recommendation. Content and linked scheme guidance checked on 7 September 2026. Your circumstances, lender criteria and the rules at the time of your purchase determine the options available.
