Our home search

“We had been looking for our first home together for the best part of 3 years. However, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis made it very difficult for us to get on the housing ladder,” Louise explains. 

“Due to us being first-time buyers we were unable to compete with other buyers willing to pay well over the home report value of the property, which is why we moved our attention to a new build home.

“We first viewed the houses at Keepmoat and initially felt that they were out of our price range.”

Deciding to use a mortgage broker

The new build development the couple had their heart set on had deals on the first phase of houses. So, they liaised with the sales team and were able to secure a deal on their dream house, providing they could complete the sale within 3 weeks.

The couple took the decision to use a mortgage broker to guide them through the home buying process at speed.

“The Keepmoat sales team advised us to use First Mortgage, and mentioned the team were quite quick at getting mortgages through.

“Initially we were concerned about paying someone to get us a good deal as we felt that we could find a good enough deal by ourselves online. But finding out the broker didn’t charge a fee changed our thoughts. We also checked the company’s reviews online which gave us peace of mind.”

Completing our home sale in 3 weeks

“This was our first mortgage application, and due to us lacking in knowledge on the subject, we were extremely nervous about how long the process would take.

“We contacted First Mortgage right away and spoke to Leslie who got straight to the point.

“Within a week we received our mortgage offer, and 2 weeks after that with the help of our solicitor we got the deal completed and received the keys to our new home.

“The biggest benefit of using a mortgage broker was definitely having someone with knowledge of the various companies offering mortgages. It was great to have someone who knew our own circumstances and would be able to match us to right provider.

“It was also great to have someone explain the various options we had available. Our mortgage broker, Leslie, and our Solicitor kept us right throughout the entire process.

“We will be forever grateful for everyone involved in helping us secure this amazing house.”

 Valuable guidance

Mortgage brokers can offer valuable guidance through the home buying journey, explaining options and giving you access to exclusive offers not found on the market.

Some mortgage brokers are free to use. They get paid commission from lenders for arranging mortgages. Others charge an arranging fee with could be an upfront cost or a percentage of the mortgage amount.

Choosing to use a broker is an individual decision. Understanding their role and reading online reviews can be useful in helping you to decide.

More advice on buying your first home?

We’ve joined forces with our friends Mortgage Advice Bureaux to create a guide just for you!

Download ‘A first time buyer’s guide to new builds’.