Buying a house can be hard work. A lot can go wrong and delays are normal. But there are things you can do to make it easier, starting with reading this buying property checklist.

Work out how much you can afford

If you are looking to buy a house on your own, a lender will agree to offer you at least 3 to 4 times your income, so if you earn £30,000 you can get a loan for at least £90,000. A couple are likely to be offered 2.75 to 3 times their joint income. Some lenders will offer bigger income multiples if they think you have enough disposable income to meet monthly repayments.

Save up

If you have a deposit, then lenders will offer you a lower interest rate. Aim to save between 10 and 30 per cent of the property value.

Go house-hunting

Contact estate agents in your chosen area and ask to be put on their mailing lists. Encourage them to ring you when suitable properties for sale become available. The internet is useful to research, like mortgage comparison tables, but websites are not always completely up to date. Try propertyfinder, rightmove or zoomf.

View as many properties as possible, preferably in the daylight. When you find one you really like, return for a follow-up visit at a different time of day and take a friend or relative for a second opinion. Take this opportunity to inspect the area more fully.

Make an offer

Ring the estate agent and make an offer. To decide how much to offer, consider how long the property has been on the market or if any work needs to be done. These could be bargaining tools to offer less than the asking price. If the offer is accepted, ask for the property to be taken off the market. This helps to prevent gazumping – when someone else makes a higher offer that the estate agent must pass on to the seller. Your offer is not legally binding, unless you live in Scotland.

Arrange your mortgage

To choose a mortgage, you can either find one yourself using the internet or asking lenders directly if they will offer you a loan, or use a mortgage broker. Sometimes brokers, who have access to all of the deals in a particular market, will be able to find the cheapest deals more easily. Once the application is submitted, the lender will carry out credit checks and tell you, often within 24 hours, if your application has been accepted “on principle”.

Appoint a solicitor or conveyancer to do the legal work. Some mortgage brokers will recommend one if you cannot find one yourself. Check The Law Society for names, then call a few to ask for a quote on costs.

Arrange a survey

The property needs to be valued to establish that it is worth the asking price before your lender finally agrees the loan. You will need to pay a fee for the survey. If the lender is happy with the results, you should receive a formal offer within 2 weeks.

However this basic valuation survey is not enough if you want to know about any potential problems with the property. A homebuyer’s report or full structural survey will give a more detailed picture. Controversial Home Information Packs are currently being phased in. Anyone selling a property with three or more bedrooms is now obliged to provide their buyer with the pack, containing detailed information about the property.

Sign the contract

Your solicitor will present you with the contract, unless they have uncovered any legal complications. The seller also has to sign a contract. Once signed, the contracts will be exchanged. You will then have to pay the deposit to your solicitor, which you would lose if you were to pull out.

You will have to wait around four weeks for completion, which is when the mortgage is passed on to the seller and they give you the keys. Don't forget to book your removal company.

What can possibly go wrong?

Your offer could be refused. Only offer a higher amount if you can afford it, no matter how perfect the property. Otherwise, it is back to the drawing board

You are gazumped. A painful and frustrating experience, unless you are buying North of the Border

The seller backs out. This can happen right up until the contracts are exchanged.

Your mortgage application is refused. If your credit score is not high enough, or if the survey uncovers problems, the lender can back out.

You back out after exchanging – losing your deposit.

Your solicitor finds problems with the title deeds, or uncovers any planning application that affect the property

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