The house buying process

There’s a lot to consider when looking for a mortgage and we understand it can be difficult. We’re here to help; our guide on understanding the various mortgage types is a great place to start. Find out more.

Stamp Duty Land Tax is a payment to the Government in order to obtain a Certificate of Land Ownership from the HM Revenue & Customs, which states that the land on which your new property sits is legally and officially owned by and registered to you. Find out everything you need to know about stamp duty here.

One of the most time-consuming and challenging parts of buying your first home is saving enough money for a deposit. Due to this, some parents and family members are now choosing to provide younger generations with some, or all, of the deposit money that they need to buy their first house. Find out more.

If you're a first time buyer beginning the search for your perfect first home, or a homeowner thinking about remortgaging to Newcastle Building Society, you can use our simple mortgage affordability calculator to get an idea of how much we may be willing to lend you.

Our affordability calculator is a quick and easy way of seeing how much you may be able to borrow from us, before you speak to one of our qualified mortgage advisers. Find out more here.

When submitting your mortgage application, your lender will consider your credit score. A strong credit score helps to improve the chance of your application being approved.

Don’t know your credit score right now, or nervous it’s too low? We’ve created a simple checklist to help you improve it. Find out all you need to know here.

We know that moving home can be costly, so it’s really important to budget for all costs. With this guide you can ensure your budget incorporates the common costs that come up. Find out more here.

Whether you’re looking for your first home or your tenth, moving home is an exciting yet daunting time with lots to consider. Let’s take a breath and consider your options to make sure you’re making the best choice for you. Find out more

Our emotions shape most of the decisions we make. They play a huge part when choosing your ideal home, just don’t forget to listen to your head as well as your heart.

Viewings are exciting, so it’s perfectly natural to start imagining your future home life. Make sure you’re also looking carefully at the property in its present state. Read our article for more tips.

Mortgage in Principle, Decision in Principle and Agreement in Principle: there are lots of terms for the same thing, but what does it really mean? Our comprehensive guide can help.

Whether you’re a first time buyer or moving home again, putting in an offer for a house you’ve fallen in love with can be a really exciting, but often nerve-racking time.

When making an offer on a house, chances are that you won’t be the only hopeful buyers, so you need to act fast – but how do you put in an offer, and how much should you offer for the best chance of being accepted? Read our guide to find out.

Getting a mortgage often involves a lot of moving parts and, as such, it can be hard to pin down an exact period of time from application to offer.

However, most prospective homeowners can expect to wait around a month or two to get a mortgage, as long as the application is straightforward and there aren’t any issues with their file. Read our guide to find out more information. 

With your offer accepted, and your mortgage approved by your lender, you can begin the process of getting into your new home. But there are some key steps to consider in order to make that process as smooth and as simple as possible. Read our guide.

If you’re thinking of starting a new chapter by investing in a new home, it’s natural to have a lot of questions. Many homebuyers are unsure whether they need a solicitor or if they can save themselves a little extra cash by going without. In this guide, we explain whether you need a solicitor when buying or selling a house.

Buying a home is one of the most exciting investments that you’ll ever make, but even when you’ve fallen in love with a property, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re making the right choice. This is where paying for a home buyers survey can be really helpful. To help you understand each type of survey and how it could benefit you, we’ll explain them in our guide, as well as the typical home buyers survey costs you should expect to pay.

While home buyer surveys aren’t compulsory, they are useful and in most cases recommended. They may bring up details about the home you wish to buy that you didn’t know about, such as necessary roof repairs or damp.

However, any repairs identified on the survey do not necessarily mean you have to drop out of the sale. It’s not uncommon for people to go back on their accepted offer price to negotiate a lower price more suited to the home’s condition.

Negotiating like this can seem quite daunting, which is why we’ve created this simple guide to help.

Adding value to your home comes in all shapes and sizes, whether you’re looking for inexpensive quick-wins or larger refurbishments and renovations. 

Read our simple ‘how to’ guide on what adds value to a house, from the small jobs to the big.

If you have saved enough money in your Lifetime ISA (LISA) and you’re ready to get your first home, we’ve created an easy guide to help make your first step onto the property ladder as seamless as possible. 

We all know moving house can be stressful. However, it doesn’t have to be. 

At Newcastle Building Society, we want you to enjoy the excitement of a new home without worrying about getting everything in order. That’s why we’ve created this simple moving house checklist. 

After the considerable expense of buying a new home, you may be having to review your finances before making any costly renovations. But a lack of budget shouldn’t stop you from personalising your new home and making it feel more like your own. 

Here are seven simple, cost-effective methods to show you how to refurbish a house on a budget.