As much as you can. As a general rule, the more you can save towards a deposit, the better your first time buyer mortgage rate will probably be.

Aim to put down at least 5-10% of your chosen property’s value. So if you’re looking to buy a £100,000 house, try to save at least £5,000-10,000 as your deposit.

Yes, there are. As well as your mortgage and deposit, there are a few extra fees to pay when you buy your first home.

• Legal fees – These fees cover Land Registry costs and conveyancing during the process of the sale.
• Surveyor’s/valuation fees – make sure that you choose the most suitable type of survey for the house you’re buying. A newer build will need a less comprehensive survey than a home built 100 years ago. Don’t leave it to chance… you don’t want any nasty surprises further down the line.
• Stamp duty – Good news. Following the introduction of new legislation, homes costing up to £300,000 are now exempt from stamp duty land tax for first time buyers. However, if you’re buying a house worth more than this, you’ll need to pay stamp duty upon completion. Remember that this cost cannot be added to your mortgage.
• Moving costs – remember to set some cash aside to pay for things like removals, furniture and home insurance.

You will be pleased to know that our advisors can carry out a “Cost of Moving” calculation for you, which will give you an idea of how much money to set aside for these fees.

The good news is that as a first time buyer you’re already pretty attractive to sellers. Nobody likes a chain, and first time buyers may be able to obtain a property with a lower offer if they are not weighed down with a complicated chain behind them.

But how can you make the banks want to lend to you? All they want is evidence that you will be able to keep up with your mortgage repayments. Here are some things you can do to put them at ease.

• Pay off things like your credit cards, phone contracts and utility bills on time.
• Show them that you can cope with fixed costs like childcare, as this may have an impact on how much they are prepared to lend.
• Try not to make any new credit applications in the six months before you apply for a mortgage.
• Thanks to new affordability criteria, lenders will now scrutinise not only your salary but your spending. Now might be a good time to cut back on those weekly treats (or that dusty old gym membership).

For a more in-depth look into some common types of first-time buyer mortgages, check out our following guides:

• Family deposit mortgages. 
• Shared ownership mortgages.
• Gifted deposit mortgages.