Picture Your Move
Start with the life you want, the places that could support it and a realistic timeline. This phase costs nothing, but it prevents expensive false starts later.
0/7 steps completeFirst-time buying, made navigable
Your next home starts with knowing what comes next.
A complete step-by-step guide to buying your first home in England — from the first daydream to collecting the keys.
Welcome back
Keep your move moving.
You're 0% of the way there. Pick up with the first step still waiting for you.
Continue your journeyJourney complete
You made it home.
All 48 steps are complete. Keep this guide nearby as you settle in and prepare for future mortgage decisions.
Review your journeyThe whole path
Six phases. Forty-eight clear steps.
Preparation comes before portals; evidence comes before commitment.
Sort Your Money & Mortgage
Turn savings, income and credit history into a workable buying budget, then finish with an Agreement in Principle.
0/10 steps completeHouse Hunt in Earnest
With your budget and AIP ready, narrow your areas, understand tenure and view homes with clear eyes.
0/8 steps completeOffer, Conveyancing & Survey
An accepted offer starts the longest and most fragile stretch. Build the legal, lending and survey evidence you need before committing.
0/11 steps completeExchange of Contracts
Prepare carefully for the moment your purchase becomes legally binding, then organise the practical move.
0/7 steps completeCompletion & Moving In
Follow the money and keys on completion day, then close out the legal and practical jobs of becoming an owner.
0/5 steps completeHow it works
Learn. Tick it off. Know what's next.
01 — Understand
Plain-English guidance explains the decision, the evidence and the failure modes.
02 — Act
Each step ends with a practical checklist you can save privately on this device.
03 — Continue
Your path always returns to the first incomplete step, across every phase.
Useful numbers
Calculate before you commit.
England scope: This guide covers buying in England. The process differs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.