How to find your first home (and not waste weekends).

Set up the search

• Alerts on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket at your real budget (from your mortgage in principle) plus 5%. Sellers price to negotiate.
• Look at sold prices (Land Registry data is on all three portals) for the streets you like. Asking prices are opinions.
• Draw your area on a map and be honest about commute, and what you actually do at weekends.

Register with agents directly

Phone or visit the three or four agents who sell most in your area. Tell them your budget, that you have a mortgage in principle, and that you are chain-free (first-time buyers are gold to agents because there is no chain below you). The best houses sometimes go to the agent's list before they hit the portals.

What to look for online

• How long it has been listed and whether the price has been reduced (Zoopla and Rightmove show this).
• Floorplans, not just photos. Photos lie about size.
• The EPC. A D or below means higher bills and possibly a lender asking questions in future.
• Council tax band and, for flats, service charge and lease length.

Viewing

• Go twice if you are serious, once in daylight, once at a different time of day (traffic, neighbours, parking).
• Take the free viewing checklist: damp, cracks, windows, boiler age, water pressure, phone signal, storage, what is included.
• Ask the agent: why are they selling, how long has it been on, any offers so far, is there a chain, what is the position with the lease.
• Walk the street. Look at the neighbours' houses, the bins, the parking.

New build, older home, flat, house

Each has a different set of questions. Read the new build guide and the leasehold guide before you view either.

A note on the numbers. Thresholds, schemes and typical costs are correct as far as we know at the time of writing and are for England and Northern Ireland unless we say otherwise. Rules change and lenders differ. Check the current position, and get advice from a qualified broker before you commit.