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Foundation
First Time Buyer Foundations
A foundation course guiding first-time property buyers through the essentials: budgeting, mortgages, surveys, offers and completion.
Part 1 is free to read right away. Sign in to track your progress and unlock Parts 2-3.
Sign inAbout this course
A foundation course guiding first-time property buyers through the essentials: budgeting, mortgages, surveys, offers and completion.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Work out a realistic buying budget, including upfront costs and ongoing household expenses.
- Understand deposits, mortgages and different routes into home ownership.
- Prepare for a mortgage application and understand the support available from advisers and other professionals.
- Approach viewings and understand surveys, legal checks and questions to ask before committing.
- Understand the steps from making an offer through to exchange, completion and moving in.
- Identify your next steps, including when more preparation or specialist advice would help.
Course modules & lessons
3 parts · 30 lessons — click any lesson to open it.
1
FreePreparing to buy and understanding borrowingPart 1 · 8 lessons
- Buying a home that fits your lifeLesson 1
- What first time buyer actually meansLesson 2
- Your deposit is only part of the money you needLesson 3
- A monthly budget you can live withLesson 4
- Mortgages in plain EnglishLesson 5
- Loan to value and different interest ratesLesson 6
- Credit history and your application documentsLesson 7
- Your adviser and agreement in principleLesson 8
2
Foundation+Comparing buying routes and choosing a homePart 2 · 11 lessons
- What the new deposit announcement actually saysLesson 9
- Following the money behind a small depositLesson 10
- When a low deposit route could help or hinderLesson 11
- Ordinary mortgages and buying the home you rentLesson 12
- Saving support and help from familyLesson 13
- Shared ownership and discounted homesLesson 14
- Needs wants and the right locationLesson 15
- Freehold leasehold and ongoing chargesLesson 16
- New builds and existing homesLesson 17
- Viewing a home with useful questionsLesson 18
- Valuations surveys and legal searchesLesson 19
3
Foundation+Making an offer and becoming a homeownerPart 3 · 11 lessons
- Price value and making an offerLesson 20
- Your conveyancer and the people around the purchaseLesson 21
- Chains and what accepted offers meanLesson 22
- Legal work searches and enquiriesLesson 23
- Reading your mortgage offer and scheme agreementLesson 24
- Exchange and the different meanings of depositLesson 25
- Completion getting the keys and protecting your moneyLesson 26
- When the valuation or survey changes the planLesson 27
- Delays pressure and knowing when to stopLesson 28
- The first month of ownershipLesson 29
- Keeping the home affordable over timeLesson 30
Course library
Downloads & resources
A calm library of every video, audio, PDF, mind map and checklist that accompanies this course. Watch and listen in-platform, or download what you'd like to keep.
Part 1 is free to preview — create a free account to open the Part 1 workbook and welcome video.
Reviewed October 2026