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first time buyers

A first time buyer’s guide to getting on the property ladder

Deciding to buy a home is one of the biggest steps you can take in your life, and most likely your most expensive purchase, so it’s important to make sure you fully understand everything that’s involved. Here at Peveril Homes we’ve helped countless first time buyers successfully settle into their new home, so we have the expertise to help guide you through your first house purchase and our experienced Sales Executives are always on hand to help you every step of the way.

Financing your first home & finding the right mortgage

Very few first time buyers will purchase a property outright. Most people rely on a mortgage to help them buy a home. When you start looking for a mortgage the choice can be bewildering. The main factors that will influence your choice are: 

  •  The amount you need to borrow 
  • The deposit you have 
  • The amount you can afford in monthly repayments 
Use our online mortgage calculator below to help you work out what you can afford. 
You can apply for a mortgage directly from a bank or building society, or you can use a mortgage broker or independent financial adviser (IFA) who can compare different mortgages on the market. 

Choosing your dream home

Once you know how much deposit you have and how much you’re able to borrow to buy your first home, you can start thinking about where and what you’d like to buy. It may be helpful to make ‘would like’ and ‘need’ lists to decide the type of property you are looking for.
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Solicitors, contracts & completion

The legal process involved in buying a home can be complicated and you will need to instruct a solicitor to represent you when you reserve your new home. They will check the contracts, title deeds and undertake searches and enquiries on your behalf, as well as advising you throughout the process. They will ensure all finances are in place for you to proceed to legal completion, this will include calling off any required funds including Help to Buy. 

Finances – Mortgages and Help to Buy 

The next important step is is arranging your finances whether by going directly to the mortgage lender or by using a registered Independent Financial Advisor. They will help you decide which mortgage is best for you, whether Help to Buy is an option and then sort all the necessary paperwork and process your application. A mortgage valuation will be undertaken on the property and if all goes correctly this should culminate in that all important mortgage offer. Once received your solicitor will be asking you to sign contracts and ensure you have provided them with your deposit money. You are nearly there! 

Signing contracts 

When you receive your mortgage offer, contact your solicitor to make arrangements to sign contracts. Once you have signed contracts and provided your solicitor with your deposit money, your solicitor can then proceed to exchanging contracts. 

Exchanging contracts 

On every house sale two identical contracts are prepared by your solicitor and the seller signs one and the buyer signs the other. When both parties are ready to proceed, contracts are exchanged, making both parties legally bound to proceed with the sale and purchase of a home. When you are ready to exchange contracts your solicitor will ask you for your exchange deposit. When exchanging contracts your solicitor will agree a moving date for you, called the completion date. If your new home is still under construction, we will give you an estimated date and you will exchange ‘on notice’. Formal notice will be given from our solicitors to your solicitor at least 10 days prior to required legal completion, when your property will be ready for you to move into. But don’t worry your Sales Executive will keep you updated throughout, so this won’t come as a shock. 

Home demonstration and our unique pre-occupation inspection 

Two weeks before legal completion, we usually invite our buyers to join us in familiarising themselves with their finished home and learning how it all works. We appreciate it’s a lot to take in, so we are always there afterwards to answer anything that has been forgotten and we will provide on legal completion your home pack which incorporates everything to do with your home. This home demonstration is then followed by the pre-occupation inspection which is unique to Peveril Homes and gives you the opportunity to highlight any issues that we need to address before you move in. The initial home demonstration with your Site Manager and Sales Executive will be followed by our pre-occupation inspection which is unique to Peveril Homes and gives you the opportunity to spend time in your new home, check all is as you would expect and highlight to us any areas of the finish you are not happy with. Our team endeavour to get your new home as near to perfect as we can to ensure you are totally happy. However, it is a hand-made product and should something have been missed, we will make every effort to get this sorted before you move in. The last thing we want to do is disturb you once you have moved in.

Legal completion 

When your new home is ready our solicitor will serve notice on your solicitor to legally complete your new home purchase. The completion date is normally the date that you move, although if you have no property to sell you can move into your new home at any time following the completion date. Your solicitor will have advised you to ensure you have house and contents insurance in place so that you have cover from the day you move in. On the completion day your solicitor will transfer the balance of the purchase price to our solicitor by same day bank transfer and when the money is received we will give you the keys to your new home.

Preparing to move 

Taking ownership of your first home is exciting, though the actual move itself can be stressful. Make life as simple as possible by planning and preparing in advance. Begin by de-cluttering and throwing out anything you no longer need. If you are using a removal firm, use someone from the British Association of Removers or the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS), but always get quotes. Check your home insurance covers you for any damage during the move, just in case! When you have an actual moving-in date remember to book your time off work, and if you are renting give notice to your landlord and tell your existing utilities companies when you are moving out. Make sure all services are connected – gas/ electricity/water/phone, and that your buildings and contents insurance cover is in place. Our Sales Executives can provide you with a check list for you to refer to and ensure you haven’t missed anything.

Moving day 

You will be contacted by our Sales Executive to congratulate you on the purchase of your new home. They will meet with you and ask that you sign a key release form which confirms safe receipt of your keys, your final meter readings and a final check on the quality of your new home. You will then be free to enjoy your new Peveril home.

Settling into your new home 

On legal completion we will provide you with our handover pack which contains information regarding your new home, including the LABC Buildmark Warranty and manufacturers’ warranties, manuals and general information, together with emergency contacts and procedures. If you find that there are any issues once you’ve moved in, please give us a call. Making sure your first days in your new home are happy ones is a priority at Peveril. Our commitment to you continues after you move in for a further two years, and after 12 months we offer an optional maintenance inspection, as laid out in our Customer Charter.

Ways to Buy

There are many different ways to buy your dream home with Peveril. Find out more about our incentives that can help make your dream home a reality.

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Part Exchange

Make moving home straightforward with the Peveril Homes Part Exchange scheme.

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MovePlus Assisted Purchase

Designed to get buyers moving with the minimum of fuss.

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Armed Forces incentives

We aim to make buying a Peveril home especially affordable for those working in our Armed Forces.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of a deposit do I need to save?

How much stamp duty will I have to pay?

Can I buy with someone else to keep costs down?

Which mortgage should I go for?

Are there any schemes to help first time buyers?

What does it all mean?

Here’s a list of the most commonly used terms we use throughout the house buying process and what they mean.

Mortgage Calculator

Use the calculator below to find out your potential mortgage.

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*For more information about this calculator please visit this website
*This is not a formal quotation or a commitment to lend. All figures provided are for illustrative purposes only. Figures provided will be dependent on your financial situation, property value and the size of your deposit or equity.

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Stamp Duty Calculator

Use the calculator below to find out your potential stamp duty.

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*For more information about this calculator please visit this website
*This is not a formal quotation or a commitment to lend. All figures provided are for illustrative purposes only. Figures provided will be dependent on your financial situation, property value and the size of your deposit or equity.

Stamp Duty Calculator Results

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