Falling mortgage rates are bringing welcome relief to first-time buyers. Monthly repayments on the average UK first-time buyer mortgage are now around £355 less than three years ago — easing financial pressure and making homeownership feel more achievable for many ready to take their first step onto the property ladder.

Selling for the first time can feel overwhelming. Everyone has advice, most of it conflicting. Here are the key questions to ask every estate agent, plus the step-by-step process you’ll go through to launch your home the right way.

Buying your first home in Attleborough is never easy, but it’s not as impossible as headlines suggest. While prices are high, history shows affordability is improving—mortgage costs now take a smaller slice of income than in past decades, giving today’s buyers more breathing room.

A new £2m-plus home surcharge is billed as progressive, but its impact falls mainly on London and the South East, where many owners now face an annual bill from 2028. Critics warn it punishes long-term residents, cools the prime market and deepens regional divides, even as households weigh downsizing. Many fear a new cliff edge at £2m too.