UK's One-Stop Non-Discriminatory Direct Lending Platform. Minority Borrower-Friendly. Learn More
Nobody bought a house empty-handed. Even if you qualify for our 100% home mortgage, you still need to have funds on hand to settle the closing fees - You can either have a no deposit home mortgage or no closing cost mortgage, but never the two together with us. Even if you're lucky to get a no deposit mortgage and a no closing cost mortgage with another mortgage provider in the UK, you would still need to have some savings before buying a house.
Here’s what you need to know about getting your first mortgage, whether your plans are imminent or a few years down the line - it never hurts to be prepared, after all.
GETTING STARTED
Saving your deposit in the smartest way possible to get mortgage ready, and not mere talk. At DCANS Mortgage, we insist on showing us a minimum bank or investment account from a regulated institution statement balance of £10,000 (not meant to be paid to us upfront) before any discussion and/or or process can be started - the bigger the better. There are so many ways you can deploy this primary savings to:
• Down-payment if you're not on a 100% home mortgage and/or to reduce your monthly repayments,
• Closing costs to settle search fees, legal costs, etc
• Moving and post-moving costs.
For most people, mortgage deposit is the first and largest hurdle on the way to home-ownership. If you’re saving for your deposit yourself, you’ll probably be channelling a fair bit of your income into savings, but it’s worth checking to make sure that you’re maximising your money. House prices have soared but salaries have not grown proportionally. Following the 2008 global financial crises, getting a mortgage became more difficult for many, with zero-deposit and interest-only mortgages becoming more or less a thing of the past - not just the UK.
This means that, for any person wanting to buy a house today, there are two main focuses: saving the deposit and getting mortgage-ready.
REALISTIC TIME-FRAME
Getting your time-frame right is important. You could end up frustrated and disappointed if you rush yourself, but a time-frame that is too long can start to feel abstract and unachievable, too. Take stock of any current savings or assets, look at the type of property you would hope to be able to be able to buy – again, being realistic is a good idea here – and work out how much you will need to save for the level of deposit that you want, usually 10%.
With the maximum borrowing capacity with us being eight times your net annual salary (income multiple rule), you may use it as a guide. Then, take a look at your budget and work out how long it’s likely to take you. You might want to play out a few scenarios, especially if you’re anticipating a pay increase, or if you want to see how plans like family needs or other big expenditures will affect your progress.
SET EARLY SAVINGS HABITS
Even if you’re very early in your career and perhaps earning a lower salary as you gain experience, there are things that you can do to maximise your chances of home ownership in the not-too-distant future. Putting saving habits in place, even if you don’t have a lot of extra income to save, will stand you in really good stead for when you are able to save more.
Because the habit is already in place, all you need to do is increase the amount when you can, and you’ll quickly build a decent savings (investment) pot. DCANS Mortgage, like any other mortgage lender also love to see regular, well-establishing saving habits, as it shows them that you’re conscious about your money.
WHERE TO PUT YOUR HOUSE DEPOSIT
DCANS Mortgage is not a bank or deposit-taking, so you obviously cannot keep your house deposit or investments with us.
As you may be aware, interest rates on savings are generally dismal right now (<2% p.a.), and there’s no indication that they will improve in any meaningful way any time soon. The difference between some of the highest interest-paying savings accounts and the lowest is fairly negligible, so it’s not really worth stressing about which one to choose, but there are other ways to grow your money into a decent house deposit.
• Lifetime ISA
The first is to use a LISA (Lifetime Individual Savings Account), which can be used to buy your first home worth up to £450,000, or under any of the following instances:
- You buy the property at least 12 months after you make your first payment into the Lifetime ISA
- You use a conveyancer or solicitor to act for you in the purchase: the ISA provider will pay the funds directly to them.
- You’re buying with a mortgage
The government will top up your savings by 25% bonus up to £1000 per year – so if you add £4,000 to a LISA within a year, you will have £5,000) overall. You could use this scheme over several years to grow your deposit, and if you’re buying with a partner you can have one each, meaning that you get a double bonus effect.
You must be 18 or over but under 40 to open a Lifetime ISA. You can put in up to £4,000 each year, until you’re 50. You must make your first payment into your ISA before you’re 40. The Lifetime ISA limit of £4,000 counts towards your annual ISA limit. This is £20,000 for the 2021 to 2022 tax year.
• Safe UK Government Investments
The safest investment vehicle in the UK today, not your bank's investment products that may even have a few basis points above the Bank of England T-bill rates (Gilts).
ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY
With big, longer-term goals like saving the tens of thousands of pounds that you will often need for your deposit, it can be easy to lose focus or motivation when things don’t seem to be happening quick enough. Try to create ways to hold yourself accountable, and to stay connected with your goal of home ownership and this could be finding an accountability buddy - perhaps someone with a similar goal to you, so that you can encourage each other.
STAYING THE COURSE
Buying your first home is exciting, and it should be something you really enjoy and appreciate - not least because of all of the hard work you’ll have put in by the time you pick up your keys. Just keep your eyes on the prize, and you’ll get there.
Related Pages