A first-time buyer’s checklist
Buying your first home has a lot of steps, and some of the expensive ones come after your offer. This checklist puts the free and cheap checks first.
Free to start with a postcode. No account needed. See an example report.
The steps, in order
Work out your budget
Get a mortgage agreement in principle, and add up the deposit, the solicitor’s fees, a survey, moving costs, and any tax on the purchase. Check whether first-time buyer relief applies where you’re buying.
Check the area before you view
Our free area check shows the flood zone, planning applications nearby, recent sales, crime and schools for a postcode.
View, and ask questions
View more than once if you can, at different times of day. Ask about the chain, the building and running costs.
Check the house before you offer
The full report checks the house itself: flooding, the ground, radon, noise, planning protections, extensions with no planning record, energy and sales history.
After your offer is accepted
Instruct a solicitor or conveyancer, who orders searches. Book a survey that suits the house. Your lender will value the home.
Exchange and complete
Once you exchange contracts, you’re committed. Make sure every question is answered before then.
What we check
- Flood zone, planning, recent sales, crime and schoolsFree area check
- Everything at the house, with questions for your solicitor and surveyorFull report
- Alerts if the home’s records change before you complete, with Buyer WatchFull report
Coverage: England, Scotland and Wales. Buying steps differ in Scotland, where offers are made through a solicitor and sellers provide a Home Report.
Sources: HM Land Registry; Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales; Council planning registers. All data sources
Why check early
By the time searches and a survey come back, you’ve usually spent hundreds of pounds. A problem found before your offer costs nothing to walk away from.
First-time buyers often have the least room in their budget for surprises, so it pays to know what you’re buying.
Questions to ask the seller, your solicitor or surveyor
- Is there a chain, and how long is it?
- What’s the council tax band and what are the energy bills?
- For a flat: how many years are left on the lease, and what are the service charge and ground rent?
The full report ties questions like these to what it finds at the house.
Common questions
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
It depends on the price and where you buy. England has first-time buyer relief on Stamp Duty Land Tax, and Scotland on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. Wales’s Land Transaction Tax has no first-time buyer relief. Check the government calculator for your price.
Do I need a survey as a first-time buyer?
A lender’s valuation isn’t a survey. A survey tells you about the condition of the building, which matters most when you have little spare budget for repairs.
What can I check for free?
The flood zone, planning applications nearby, recent sales, crime and schools for any postcode, in our free area check.
Official records, not advice. We never score properties or tell you whether to buy. Check a postcode