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For Home Buyers

Whether you’re a first time buyer or you're relocating, there are a lot of things to consider. We’re here to help make it easy for you to find the home you're looking for.

Bringing down the barriers to home ownership

by Leeds Building Society


Buying a home has never been easy, but it’s also never been as hard as it is right now. This means a generation of potential first-time buyers face the possibility of never being able to buy a home. We’ve got some ideas to help prevent that, but first, let’s take a deep dive into the situation.

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Shared Ownership: how does it work?

by Leeds Building Society


It could be said getting together a large enough deposit is arguably the biggest barrier to home ownership - Shared Ownership can help break this down for first time buyers. With Shared Ownership, you own a share of a property rather than all of it. Because your deposit amount is based only on the share value, rather than the full property value, it means you may need a much smaller deposit to become a homeowner.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Remortgaging to buy a new home

by Leeds Building Society


When moving home, there’s usually two options when it comes to deciding what to do with your existing mortgage. You can transfer your current mortgage to your new property, which is called porting, or you can remortgage and get a different deal.

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What is remortgaging?

by Leeds Building Society


In a nutshell, remortgaging means taking out a new mortgage to replace the one you currently have. There are lots of reasons why you might choose to remortgage. Usually, it’s done when a current mortgage deal is coming to an end.

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How much money do I need to buy a house?

by Leeds Building Society


Wouldn't it be great if the cost of buying a home boiled down to the price tag and nothing more? Unfortunately, things aren't quite that simple., House -buying comes with a whole host of costs covering not only the purchase itself, but also the administration and assurances around it.

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Leeds Rhinos Homebuying Stories

by Leeds Building Society


Whether it’s a passionate Headingley crowd or one of our members getting the keys to their new property, there’s nothing like being at home. But we wondered, what homebuying journeys have the Rhino’s rugby league and netball players been on? And what does home ownership mean to them?

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How to build towards a house deposit

by Leeds Building Society


Are you wanting to take that first step on the property ladder but finding it hard to save up a deposit? With property prices having surged in the last couple of years, finding the money to put down for a mortgage can be tough. But from shrewd saving to cutting costs, there are ways to make it happen. Here's our tips for saving for a house deposit in 2023.

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What does home insurance cover?

by Leeds Building Society


Home – there’s nowhere more special. That’s why making sure your property and belongings are protected from the unexpected is so important. We’ve already explained how home insurance works in our “What is home insurance ” article, and now we’re turning our attention to what exactly home insurance covers.

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What is home insurance?

by Leeds Building Society


It’s important you get the right insurance cover to make sure your home and belongings are protected if the worst happens. We’ve answered some of the key questions about home insurance.

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How Experian Boost could give you a lift onto the property ladder

by Leeds Building Society


We’ve teamed up with Experian to connect to their free Boost service, to potentially help people turn their dream of buying a home into a reality.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

Tackling the UK's homeownership crisis

by Leeds Building Society


The Society has launched proposals aimed at making it easier for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, as new research we’ve commissioned shows that recent economic uncertainty and interest rate rises have made it harder than ever to buy a home.

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Beginners guide to mortgages


Very few people can afford to buy a home outright. A mortgage is a loan secured against land (including your property) that you repay over a number of years.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

Lifting the lid on Shared Ownership

by Leeds Building Society


Getting onto the housing ladder can be tricky. However, Shared Ownership could be a useful option for many first-time buyers. We sat down for a chat with Sean Hanson, Senior Product and Pricing manager for affordable housing, to explore some key points of Shared Ownership and dispel some myths around the scheme.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

Man and woman packing their belongings into cardboard boxes

Take the stress out of moving


Moving home is an important, exciting life event; it can give you the opportunity to explore a new area, redecorate rooms and expand your living space. But with paperwork, fees and a whole lot of life admin, it’s safe to say it can be a difficult time too. Here are some tips and tricks for reducing stress when you’re moving house.

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How to prepare your home for winter

by Leeds Building Society


Damage to your property can be a real drain on your bank balance, and a difficult situation to handle. Knowing a few small things you can do around the home could be key to avoiding expensive situations if your home is hit by bad weather or flooding.

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Fees checklist for first time buyers


Buying a new home is likely to be the single most expensive purchase you will ever make. When it comes to getting a mortgage or buying a house, there are a number of other one-off costs that you need to keep in mind and budget for.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Financial help for first time buyers

by Leeds Building Society


When you’re looking to buy your first home, it can be difficult saving up for the deposit you need. Fortunately, there’s plenty of support out there to get your foot on the housing ladder.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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First time buyer? Let's talk conveyancing

by Leeds Building Society


If you’re at a point where you’re thinking about buying your first house, you’re probably extremely excited and completely overwhelmed in equal measure. Well to help you unpick some of the process, we thought we’d briefly shed some light on the legal side.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Stamp duty explained

by Leeds Building Society


Stamp duty land tax (normally just called stamp duty) is an additional tax you have to pay when you buy a property for more than £125,000 (£300,000 if you're a first time buyer). Here's how it works.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

First time buyers credit score

First time buyers: credit scores explained

by Leeds Building Society


When assessing your mortgage application, one of the main things lenders will look at is your credit score. So it's important you know what it is and what shape your score's currently in.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Right to Buy explained

by Leeds Building Society


Right to buy is a government scheme that can help you buy your home at a discounted price if you rent it from your local council or housing association. Here are the key things you need to know about getting on the property ladder with Right to Buy.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

Japanese knotweed

The dangers of Japanese knotweed

by Leeds Building Society


Cracked concrete, broken brickwork and muddled mortgage applications - so many of these home-buying horror stories have a single, unlikely villain: Japanese knotweed.

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Common misconceptions: remortgaging

Last updated: 9 January 2018


Remortgaging can be a tricky subject to get your head round, and many homeowners don't fully understand how it works. We've busted some of the most common myths around remortgaging.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

man and woman sitting on floor and drinking tea

To renovate or move? 5 things to consider

by Leeds Building Society


Is it better to renovate and improve your current home, or move to a new place? If you're one of the thousands of homeowners puzzling over that question, you'll know there's rarely an easy answer. So let us help. Here are five key factors to consider.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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How to remortgage

by Leeds Building Society


So you've done your sums, and you've decided that you could save money by remortgaging. But how do you go about it?

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Part and part mortgages explained

by Leeds Building Society


Part and part mortgages let you pay back some of your mortgage on an interest only basis, and some on a repayment basis. Is it the right option for you? Let our guide to part-and-part mortgages help you decide.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Interest only mortgages explained

by Leeds Building Society


There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding interest only mortgages – that’s why we’ve put together this guide. It answers all the big interest only questions in detail: what it is, how it works, and how much you’ll actually end up paying.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Buildings insurance: How to get the right cover

by Leeds Building Society


Buildings insurance is essential, but many people have too much or not enough of it. In this guide, we explain how to make sure you've got the right cover for your needs.

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How to settle into your new home - in 7 steps

by Leeds Building Society


A 7-step guide to settling into your new home - from the first night to the finishing touches.

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10 common mistakes to avoid when buying your first home

by Leeds Building Society


When you’re talking about life’s major milestones, buying your first home is right up there. However, it is a complex process to navigate and there can be pitfalls along the way. To help you avoid them, we’ve put together a list of the ten most common mistakes first-time buyers make.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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A guide to fixed rate mortgages

by Leeds Building Society


If you have a fixed term mortgage, your monthly repayments won't change when interest rates go up or down. In this article, we look at the pros and cons.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

man and woman moving box downstairs

Moving day checklist

by Leeds Building Society


It’s often said that moving house is one of the most stressful life events you can experience. To make sure moving into your first home goes as smoothly as possible, take a look at our week-by-week preparation checklist.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Going it alone: self-employed home buyers

by Leeds Building Society


Self-employment brings with it a number of lifestyle benefits but with these come some potential downsides. For Britain's 4.6 million (source: Office of National Statistics 2014) self-employed people, obtaining a mortgage can be a challenge.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Beginners guide to joint ownership

by Leeds Building Society


Before buying a property with someone, whether it is with friends, family members or your significant other – you need to decide how ownership of the property will be divided.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Beginners guide to Declaration of Trust

by Leeds Building Society


Buying a property can be an expensive and stressful experience, with deposits to raise and plenty of paperwork to complete. Many first time buyers are easing some of the financial strain by buying a property with a friend, partner, relative or a loved one.

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Your property could be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

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Understanding home insurance

by Leeds Building Society


Home insurance might seem like a confusing and complicated issue but it doesn't need to be. Put simply, home insurance covers the main structure of your home as well as your possessions within it.

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