Dwellmark guides
Buying a home
From saving a deposit to collecting the keys - the complete UK buying process.
Getting ready & affordability
Deposits, and the full cost of moving, before you start.
How much deposit do you need to buy a house in the UK?
The minimum deposit is 5% of the price - but the amount you put down changes the mortgage rates you’re offered and the total cost of your home. Here’s how to decide, and where the money can come from.
3 min read · Published 7 August 2026
The combined cost of buying and selling a house in 2026
Sell at £300,000 and buy at £350,000? Here is what that move actually costs - the verified Stamp Duty, the agent and legal fees, the survey, and the costs people forget.
5 min read · Published 20 August 2026
First-time buyers
Schemes, Help to Buy, ISAs and shared ownership — and which route fits.
First-time buyer schemes 2026: the complete list
First-time buyer support in 2026 is a mix of open schemes, closed schemes with legacy rules, and programmes that now vary by nation or tenur
3 min read · Published 8 August 2026
First-time buyer schemes compared: one table
First-time buyers in the UK face a mix of savings products, discounted purchase schemes and tax reliefs, but the rules are not the same. Thi
6 min read · Published 11 August 2026
Help to Buy equity loan in 2026: England closed, Wales open until March 2027
The Help to Buy equity loan is closed to new applicants in England but still open in Wales until 31 March 2027. This dated reference sets out the current rules for both countries, checked against GOV.UK and GOV.WALES in August 2026.
6 min read · Published 11 August 2026
Help to Buy ISA vs Lifetime ISA: which is better for you
Help to Buy ISAs and Lifetime ISAs both offer a 25% government boost for first-time buyers, but they work in different ways.
3 min read · Published 7 August 2026
Shared ownership vs Help to Buy: which route fits?
Shared ownership and Help to Buy are not direct like-for-like schemes in the facts provided here, so the comparison is necessarily narrow. T
4 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Shared ownership staircasing explained
Staircasing is the process of buying extra shares in a shared ownership home. As your share goes up, the rent you pay on the remaining share
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Right to Buy explained: discounts, caps and rules
Right to Buy is the scheme that lets most council tenants buy their council home at a discount, according to GOV.UK guidance checked in Augu
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
The buying process
Step by step, from offer to exchange and completion.
The UK house buying process: step by step
From mortgage in principle to collecting the keys - the seven stages of buying a home in the UK, how long each takes, and where buyers most often get delayed.
3 min read · Published 7 August 2026
Exchange and completion: what happens on the day
Exchange and completion are the two key steps that turn an agreed sale into a finished purchase. Exchange is the point where the deal become
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Who regulates UK property professionals?
Different parts of the UK property process are overseen by different bodies. Solicitors, estate agents, surveyors and mortgage advisers do not all answer
2 min read · Published 11 August 2026
Flats, leasehold & cladding
Lease length, service charges, EWS1 and buying the freehold.
Buying a flat: the full checklist
Buying a flat usually means buying leasehold, so the key checks are different from buying a freehold house. This checklist sticks to verifie
2 min read · Published 8 August 2026
Lease extension: the 80-year rule explained
Lease extension rules matter because a leasehold home is owned for a fixed period, not forever. When the lease ends, ownership returns to th
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Lease extension costs: what you pay and who pays what
A lease extension costs more than the premium. This guide covers the statutory costs you owe the landlord, the fees you pay your own advisers, what the law says is not payable, and the honest answer on typical totals - checked August 2026.
5 min read · Published 11 August 2026
Lease extension premium: how it is worked out
Leasehold means you own a property for a fixed period, and ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends. Most flats are leasehold.
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Leasehold service charges explained: rights, rules and how to challenge
Service charges are a regular source of dispute in leasehold homes, especially flats. The starting point is the lease itself, because it set
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
EWS1 and cladding: what flat buyers and leaseholders need to know
EWS1 and cladding issues can affect flat sales, remortgages and some leaseholders’ costs. The points below cover the rules that are verified and dated.
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
Buying the freehold: collective enfranchisement explained
Leasehold means you own a property for a fixed period and ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends. Most flats are leasehold. F
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
New builds, homes & renting
New build checks, EPCs and HMO rules.
New build checks: the Quality Code, snagging and warranties
Buying a new-build home can come with extra protections, but they depend on which scheme the developer uses and when you reserved the proper
4 min read · Published 9 August 2026
EPC explained: ratings, rules and the 2030 changes
An EPC, or Energy Performance Certificate, is a standard document used in the UK property market. It shows how energy efficient a home is an
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026
HMO licensing explained: rules for landlords
HMO rules matter because whether a property counts as a house in multiple occupation affects licensing, room standards and the risk of penal
3 min read · Published 9 August 2026