Buying
Your first home: a plan in eight steps
From the first budget to the day you get the keys: what to do, in which order, and what each step costs.
Key takeaways
Set a budget that includes taxes, fees and a reserve
Pick the area before the home
Use one checklist for every viewing
Have the contract checked before you sign
Buying a first home is a chain of small decisions. Taken in the right order, each one makes the next easier.
1. Set the budget before you look
Add up your savings, your monthly income and the costs that come with a purchase: taxes, fees, a survey and moving.
Keep a reserve of three months of costs. A home you can only just afford is the most expensive kind.
2. Choose the area, then the home
Visit two or three areas at different times of day. Check the commute, the shops and the noise.
Open the location pages for average prices, so you know what a fair price looks like.
3. View with a checklist
Light, layout, storage, damp, windows, heating. Write the same notes for every home so you can compare them later.
4. Make the offer and check the papers
Ask for the title, the running costs and any planned works before you sign.
Let an independent professional read the contract. Their fee is small beside the price.
This is a demo article with invented figures.
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Written by
Elena Marsh
Home buying editor
