Where do I start buying my first home?

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I have recently secured my first graduate job. I already have a good start on a deposit saved from both kind family contributions and my own money saved from previous jobs. In 3-4 months I will, all being well, be in a position to buy my first home.

However I don't know loads on the practicalities of how this works! What do I need to start thinking about/researching now? Apart from obviously looking for a suitable property. What do I need to sort for a mortgage? What is the role of a solicitor in this situation? What else do I need to consider?

Please assume that I am a complete novice with the process, I won't be offended! Thanks so much

First work out your budget. Three times annual salary is a good rule of thumb for a maximum mortgage.

Then add on your deposit.

Then minus stamp duty, a thousand for moving costs, and £1500 for legal fees.

That gives you a budget.

Then work out where you want to live and what you can buy.

Go and look at a few places.

Then if you want what you can afford then get a mortgage in principle from a mortgage advisor.

You don't need a solicitor until you have had an offer accepted on somewhere.

Then you need to apply for the mortgage formally, and appoint a conveyancing solicitor.

Unless buying a new build, get a survey before you sign anything. Go on to Martin Lewis' MSE website for loads of info, especially regarding best mortgage deals. The more research you do the better. Start with finding areas of the town/city you like, then identify roads you'd like to live in and prowl around them at different times of the day - what looks quiet on a Saturday afternoon can turn into a very noisy place on an evening. You may not be ready to bother about schools, but good schools are frequently in good areas, where good flats/houses can be found. As a first time buyer you'll be a popular prospective buyer, so don't rush into anything, other than securing possible mortgage offers. Exciting times.

I would speak to a mortgage broker as they can look across the market and tell you exactly how much you can borrow (while still being affordable). Normally their fee is paid by the lender too.

A solicitor (conveyancer) will handle all of the legal aspect of the sale on your behalf. This includes lining up the chain (if there is one) to align all of the contracts. It’s worth looking into reviews/word of mouth testimonials as they can vary in how good they are.

Start researching properties on rightmove/zoopla in your chosen area, you can filter by budget etc.

Martin Lewis has a decent breakdown of the entire process. www.moneysavingexpert.com/first-time-mortgage/

Some good advice here already. I just want to warn you that house prices have fallen in the last four months. The media like to use year on year figures due to house prices rising so astronomically the last year, so despite the declines in the last four months, it will still show an increase. Its a bit naughty really. Check out the monthly changes instead. Know the difference between asking, agreed and actual price when looking at the data. There is also a 3-6 month delay before prices show up on official statistics, so you aren't seeing the impact of interest rare increases on sold prices yet. Just warning you as negative equity is a horrendous position to be in.

I find moving home with Charlie online very good. He is calling a crash (you may or may not agree with this), but also offers some good advice on navigating the buying and selling process and what you entails too.

Now:
Set up Rightmove alerts for a general area and price range. Start monitoring how much the houses you like generally go for and where they are.
Speak to a mortgage advisor to get an agreement in principle. They'll tell you how much you can borrow.
Register with the local estate agents. If you can befriend them they'll tell you about good houses before they go up.
Look around houses to get an idea of what you like.

When you're ready:
Make an offer in writing to the estate agent. You may well be rejected multiple times.
Negotiate.
Pick a local solicitor, preferably from a recommendation.
Get a survey.
Fill in so many forms it hurts.
Exchange, complete, move in. Or it all falls apart at some point and you try again.

Never be afraid to walk away from a house and never think the estate agent is on your side or the seller is honest.

it will be easier to get a mortgage if you have finished probation. I would start the process properly a few weeks before then, eg. Set up a meeting with a mortgage broker

Step one is to speak to a mortgage broker to find out how much you can borrow. There's no point looking seriously at houses until you know what you can afford.

I don't agree with some of these
e.g. 3x your salary won't get much at all unless you're on a very high wage. Most lenders will give a lot more, the max I've seen is 5.5 from Nationwide. Obviously don't overextend yourself but when you do the application they'll build in affordability checks etc.

Similarly I've always made offers over the phone, never in writing
If it's your first house, will you need movers? I did my first house with just my car (and my parents following in theirs) because I didn't have any furniture! Same with stamp duty, you won't have to pay this as a first time buyer unless you get a
significantly more expensive first time place than average.

Agree with the recommendation for MSE first time buyer guide though, that'll basically cover everything.