Providing individual mortgage advice, tailored to you

Buying a house is one of the most important purchases you will make, and buying a home for the first time will be an even more daunting prospect. To help you make the right decision, we've put together our top tips:

• Be realistic when working out exactly how much you can afford to spend on your new home. Consider not just that the mortgage is affordable, but how much it will cost to furnish your new home. Don't forget to factor in how much any improvement work you want to carry out such as decorating, re-wiring etc will be. And lastly, in addition to the purchase price, you'll have other costs such as conveyancing and stamp duty.
• As a first time buyer, it is easy to overlook important details when viewing properties. Try to take an experienced home buyer with you to viewings, such as one of your parents or a home-owning friend, to give you a second opinion. 
• If you live at home, remember to budget for expenses such as council tax, gas and electricity bills and ongoing maintenance. 
• Make sure you know how much the likely council tax charge will be for your new property. The selling agent should be able to give you details of the tax band. 
• Even if you don't have children, remember that property in the catchment areas of good schools will always be much easier to sell on. However, this may also be reflected in a higher purchase price. 

• ​​​Consider the availability of public transport, making sure you research local bus routes and the frequency of train services from your nearest station.
• ​​Always consider how your transport arrangements will change when you've moved to your new home. If you are moving further away from where you work, how much extra will your commute cost? If you have a car, your insurance premium may increase if, for example, you move from a town to a city centre, or if you no longer have access to a drive or locked garage.
• What local amenities are important to you? These may include shops, restaurants, pubs, sports centres, parks, and cinemas. If you enjoy activities such as walking, or cycling, the neighbourhood you plan to move to may be very different to the one your parents are living in, and may not have the same access to parks and other recreational facilities. Before making any final decision about where to move to, take a stroll or bike ride around the local area and note down where the key facilities are.
• ​Try, where possible, to visit a property you are proposing to buy at different times of the day. It may be that on-street parking is scarce in the evening, or that nearby businesses cause some disturbance at different points in the day. 

Call 020 3375 1999

Email enquiries@highgrove-mortgages.co.uk

Legal

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

Highgrove Mortgages is a trading name of Wolf Finance Ltd, an Appointed Representative of PRIMIS Mortgage Network. PRIMIS Mortgage Network is a trading name of First Complete Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: 7 Highgrove Close, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5SA. Registered in England & Wales. Company Registration Number: 10711050.

For our mortgage advice services, we will charge a fee of between £0 - £499 depending on the mortgage amount and work involved on your application. This fee will be made clear from the outset. 

The guidance contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore primarily targeted at consumers based in the UK.