Money Clinic podcast: How to buy your first property

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever have to make — so how can you prepare for it?

Granted, the hardest part for first-time buyers is saving up a big enough deposit. But there are plenty of other financial aspects of the homebuying process that it pays to be aware of.

On Money Clinic podcast this week, presenter Claer Barrett meets a couple who are midway through their property buying journey.

Alex, 29, and partner Sarah, 31, share details of their budget, how they worked out how much they could jointly borrow — and why they chose to approach lenders via a mortgage broker.

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As well as deciding what type of mortgage to get, they want to know about any surprise costs that could await them, and other financial questions they should consider before signing on the dotted line. What do the podcast experts suggest?

Daniel Knott, a mortgage broker who posts as @Dandoesmortgages on Instagram, has some valuable tips for anyone looking to buy their first home. Meanwhile, Jo Little, who runs chartered financial planning firm Emery Little, has a few surprising questions for the couple that could save them much financial heartache in the future.

To listen to the full episode, click the link above, or search for Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts.

If you would like to be a guest on a future episode, you can email the team via money@ft.com or drop @Claerb a DM on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.