Buying with a smaller deposit
We review the deposit you have, your income and the monthly cost, then check which lenders may consider the application.
MOVA / First-Time Buyer Mortgages
First-time buyer mortgage advice
Understand your buying budget, explore deposit options and get personal help from your first mortgage conversation to completion.
30-minute initial phone call · No cost · No pressure to proceed
Steven Cooper
Founder · MOVA Mortgages
- Review your budget and deposit
- Compare suitable mortgage routes
- Support through the application
The MOVA panel
Mortgage lenders on our panel
- Halifax Intermediaries
- Nationwide for Intermediaries
- NatWest
- Barclays
- Santander
- HSBC
- Coventry
- Leeds Building Society
- Virgin Money
- Accord Mortgages
- Skipton Intermediaries
- TSB
- Bank of Ireland
- Aldermore Mortgages
- Kensington
- Pepper Money
- Bluestone Mortgages
- Foundation Homeloans
- The Mortgage Lender
- Vida Home Loans
- United Trust Bank
- West One
- Together
- Metro Bank
- MPowered Mortgages
- Gen H
- April Mortgages
- Afin Bank
- Bath Building Society
- Beverley Building Society
- Buckinghamshire Building Society
- Cambridge Building Society
- Chorley Building Society
- Clydesdale Bank
- Coutts
- Darlington Building Society
- Dudley Building Society
- Earl Shilton Building Society
- Ecology Building Society
- Family Building Society
- Furness Building Society
- Hanley Building Society
- Harpenden Building Society
- Hinckley & Rugby Building Society
- Hodge
- Leek Building Society
- Loughborough Building Society
- Mansfield Building Society
- Market Harborough
- Marsden Building Society
- Melton Building Society
- Newbury Building Society
- Newcastle Building Society
- Nottingham for Intermediaries
- Penrith Building Society
- Perenna Bank
- Post Office
- Principality Building Society
- Progressive Building Society
- Saffron for Intermediaries
- Scottish Building Society
- Scottish Widows Bank
- Stafford Building Society
- Suffolk Building Society
- Swansea Building Society
- Tandem Bank
- Teachers for Intermediaries
- The Co-Operative Bank for Intermediaries
- Tipton & Coseley Building Society
- Vernon Building Society
- West Brom Building Society
Your route to a first home
A deposit is the starting point. Let’s look at your options.
MOVA helps you compare what may fit your budget, circumstances and the home you want to buy.
Help from family
Explore a gifted deposit or family-assisted borrowing. We explain how the arrangements differ and what the lender needs to know.
Explore this service →Shared ownership
Where available and suitable, buy a share of a home and pay rent on the rest. We assess the mortgage, rent and service charges together.
You do not need to know which route fits before booking. Start with your deposit, income and plans.
Talk it through →Start with your monthly life, not just the property price.
A useful budget leaves room for ordinary living costs as well as mortgage payments. Tell Steven about your income, regular commitments, deposit and plans. The free repayment calculator can help you compare example payments, but it does not tell you what a lender will offer.
- Allow for legal work, a survey, moving and any applicable property tax.
- Keep a separate view of your buying costs and money you may need after moving.
Your first purchase, step by step.
Budget & agreement in principle
Understand your starting budget. An agreement in principle is an indication, not a mortgage offer.
Find your home
Choose a property and agree the purchase. Allow for a survey and legal work alongside your deposit.
Application & offer
Provide the lender’s requested evidence. The lender assesses the application and property before issuing an offer.
Legal work & keys
Your conveyancer guides you through exchange and completion. MOVA supports the mortgage process.
Family help? Bring it into the conversation early.
Tell Steven if someone will contribute to your deposit or join the borrowing. A gift and a loan are different arrangements. The lender and conveyancer will need to understand the source of money and whether it must be repaid. There is no need to send family financial documents in your first enquiry.
Your questions, answered
Your questions, answered
Have a question that is specific to you?
Do I need to have found a property?
No. An early conversation can help you understand your starting position before you begin viewing.
Is an agreement in principle a guarantee?
No. It is based on initial information. A full application, checks and a suitable property are still required.
Can I start if I am still saving?
Yes. You can talk through where you are now and the questions to resolve next. Available options depend on your circumstances and lender criteria.
A practical next step
Talk through your first home.
Tell Steven where you are in your search, how you plan to fund your deposit and what you want to understand before viewing or applying.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The amount will depend on your circumstances and will be explained and agreed before you choose to proceed.
