Once you have found a property you like, you will need to decide how much you are prepared to pay for it and then make an offer to the seller (usually via the estate agent). Any offer you make is "subject to survey and contract" which means that neither you nor the seller has to go ahead with the deal. The sale of the property is not legally binding until exchange of contracts. Once your offer has been accepted by the seller, you will then need to formally arrange your mortgage to buy it.

In the current market many applicants would prefer to discuss their mortgage prospects first with their mortgage broker or financial adviser before making an offer to purchase. This is to better understand their borrowing limits, budgets and to save embarassment should they later find they are unable to obtain the mortgage they require and have to pull out of the purchase.