1. Get your finances in order

 Contact an independent mortgage broker to find out how much you can borrow. They are able to research the market place for the best deal and can help you maximise your borrowing power. Make sure to stay within what you can comfortably afford regarding monthly repayments. Obtain information in relation to the different mortgages on offer, and consider whether you want to go for a fixed or variable/Tracker deal. It is important that you tot up all the money you have at your disposal for use as a deposit. Don’t forget to account for house purchase set up costs + moving in costs (any good independent mortgage adviser should run you through an estimate of the set up costs) the objective of this exercise to make sure that prior to viewing properties you are fully aware of the costs you will incur during the purchase process.