The home buying guide

The following information is about the home-buying process in England. 
Looking to buy a home in Scotland? How buying works in Scotland

 

 

Get your finances in order

The very first step for buying a new home is to check how much you can borrow, see how much your deposit will need to be and get a mortgage agreed in principle. This doesn’t tie you into anything – you can always choose a different provider later.

View our range of Offers

 

Find your dream home

Now for the exciting bit – choosing a home. You can search our homes by location, development or nearby school.

Save your searches and properties

Setting up an account will make finding the right home much easier.

• Be the first to hear about new homes as they’re released
• Save your property shortlist and home searches
• Store your results from our handy home-buying tools

Create your account

 

Reserve your home

In the traditional home-buying process, this stage is similar to the ‘make an offer’ stage. Once your home is reserved, no one else will be able to reserve it. 

 

Arrange your mortgage

There are plenty of options to consider when it comes to a mortgage. Once you’ve done your research (or spoken to a mortgage adviser – we can put you in touch if you like) you can select the option that’s best for you.

 

 

 

On the date of completion, you become the legal owner of your new home. The full cost of the property is transferred from your mortgage lender to the seller.

We’ll then invite you to your New Home Tour, where we’ll take you round your new home and show you where things are and how everything works.

Then the keys are yours and you can move in!

Find out how else we help you through the buying process in our Customer Service Charter.

Find your investment

You’ll want to choose the right property to give you the best return on your investment. The locations of our properties are chosen to be close to major transport links, a major plus point for potential tenants. You can search our investment properties by location, development or nearby schools.

We sometimes have show homes available to buy. With Lease Back, the rental income is guaranteed if you buy a show home and lease it back to us.

Read about Lease Back

Save your searches and properties

Setting up an account will make finding the right buy to let property much easier.

• Be the first to hear about show homes as they’re released
• Save your investment property shortlist and searches
• Store your financial results from our handy tools

Create your account

Visit the development

You’ll be able to visit our homes and see the development plans and different styles available. Once you’ve chosen your property, you can reserve it. It’s important to do this early on, so you get the best choice.

Find a solicitor

A solicitor will take care of all the legal aspects of your property investment. You’ll need to find a solicitor that specialises in conveyance and understands the buy-to-let process. We have a list of recommended solicitors if you need help, all of which have experience of working with us.

To speak to our sales team now call: 0844 5566 166

Phone lines open 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week.

Arrange your mortgage

If you need to arrange a mortgage, you’ll need to look at buy-to-let mortgages. We can put you in touch with an independent financial adviser if you’re unsure what’s involved or need advice – they’ll help you get the best deal.

How much can you borrow?

Use our finance tool

Offer accepted

Once your offer on a Barratt home is accepted, we’ll ask you to confirm the details of your solicitor and mortgage lender, and we’ll prepare a memorandum of sale, which will be sent to all parties.

Conveyancing

Your solicitor will agree all the details of the sale with us, such as the date of exchange of contracts. You’ll be kept informed through every step.

Survey and mortgage offer

Your mortgage provider will arrange a survey to check the structural aspects of your home. Barratt homes are built with the highest standards of quality, so there shouldn’t be any problems. If you’ve arranged a mortgage, a formal mortgage offer will be sent to you and your solicitor for you to sign.

Furnish your property

If you need help furnishing your new property, we have a choice of furniture packs for all sizes of home. Each is designed to maximise rental value and make your buy to let property ready to move into. We could even install your furniture for you.

Choose a letting agent

To ensure you get the most out of your property investment, we can help you find a reliable agent, who will secure tenants quickly and obtain the maximum rent for you. Our sales team can also help you negotiate management fees and packages with the letting agent.

Let your home

Once tenants have paid their deposit and signed a rental agreement, they will be given the keys to your property - and you can start enjoying the returns.

Find out how else we help you through the buying process in our Customer Service Charter.