Essential Finance: Buying a Home

Sarah Pennells is personal finance editor of The Lady, writer for the Financial Mail on Sunday, London Evening Standard and Independent on Saturday and a regular presenter on the BBC Breakfast and It's Your Money. She lives in Enfield, Middlesex. Marc Robinson is a financial consultant and author of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Markets. He resides in the United States.

Making preparations: viewing the mortgage landscape; renting or buying; working out how much you can afford; meeting the lenders' criteria for loans; finding funds for a deposit; arranging your mortgage in advance; understanding your credit file. Looking for a home: getting started; using an estate agent; undertaking research; understanding leasehold properties; using a checklist; making your choice; making an offer. Shopping for a mortgage: understanding loan deals; getting loan advice; selecting a mortgage rate to suit you; choosing how you will repay your mortgage; looking at other mortgage choices. Getting your mortgage: making the application; understanding the mortgage offer; studying the loan documentation. Buying your home: recording ownership; using a solicitor; unerstanding surveys; adding up the costs; arranging insurance; insuring your mortgage; approaching exchange and completion; arranging your move; buying in Scotland and Northern Ireland; looking ahead.