Step by Step Guide

This is our step by step guide to mortgages for first time buyers. We hope you find the information helpful.

For many of us, buying a house and securing a mortgage is the biggest financial decision of our life. We strongly believe that Important financial decisions should be supported by appropriate professional advice.

Our website receives over half a million visitors per annum and we hope buyers use the information on our site to understand more about mortgages and the options available.

To find out more about our services follow this link Why Us?


1. Use our website to gain knowledge
  • Our website has evolved over many years. It changes constantly to keep you informed about the mortgage market.
  • Please review the latest lending criteria in the notes to our How much can i borrow calculator
  • .
  • We hope that through using the site's calculators and browsing the various articles you will gain a greater understanding of the process.
  • In essence our site is a tool for saving you money.
2. Information required for mortgage assessment
Being organised makes life so much easier when it comes to arranging mortgage approval.

  • Register on our digital mortgage application portal Mortgages.ie application portal. The application system will specify exactly which documents are required to support your unique application.
The normal documents required for a paye applicant are as follows

  • Arrange a colour copy of your id ( passport or driving license).
  • Proof of address. This can be a bank statement, utility bill or a letter of the Revenue commissioners to your home address dated within 3 months..
  • 6 months bank statements on all bank accounts
  • 12 month loan statements on all loan and mortgage accounts( if applicable)
  • 12 Months savings statements
  • 6 months credit card statements
  • Clear explanations for any unusual or large transactions on your bank statements
  • A salary certificate completed and signed by your current employer
  • Last years earning summary . This is available on your My Account section of the Revenue website
  • Three months pay slips if monthly paid and 8 consecutive payslips is weekly paid


  • If self employed - you will need signed financial accounts for three years, tax clearance and three years Form 11 and Chapter 4 assessments
  • Six months recent business current account bank statements
  • A note on the history of the business and future business prospects
3. Meeting clients in person

We like meeting our customers in person, to say hello, verify id as required by legislation and discuss a range of matters including:

  • Identify your risk preferences and needs.
  • Review of all supporting documentation
  • Preliminary advice of lender options
With Covid, face to face meetings are more difficult and options such as video and digital verification facilities can assist the process in line with your preferences.
4. Presentation of applications to lenders

Following an initial meeting your adviser will:

  • Analyse your proposal in detail
  • Ensure they have have all the relevant supporting documents
  • Seek explanations where appropriate to support the application
  • Review lenders latest lending criteria as it relates to your circumstances
  • Prepare letters of recommendation for our lenders.
  • Review lenders decisions in the light of your mortgage requirements
  • Where appropriate challenge the lenders decision by reasoned argument and through further supporting documentation
  • Communicate lenders decision to you
5. Finding a house!

Finding and buying your first home is an exciting experience. It is a major decision but it is usually good fun.

  • With your mortgage approval in hand you are in a position to bid and agree a property purchase.
  • Buying at the right price is the cornerstone of any purchase. It is important to remember that information is your best asset. The more information you arm yourself with the better the final decision. So when you have narrowed down the area in which you want to buy make sure nothing happens there without you knowing! Keep a close eye on the property register for your chosen area, talk to estate agents and developers.
  • Generally a (refundable) booking deposit will secure a property deal and this deposit is followed by the seller sending a contract to your chosen solicitor.
  • Our consultants are there to provide you with some valuable advice when you are in the negotiation process.
  • Remember that Estate agents act for property sellers, so you can take it that they are not acting in the buyers best interest. Never tell an estate agent your mortgage approval limit!
6. Choosing a solicitor and arranging insurance
  • We operate a group home insurance scheme through Aviva and another referral scheme through Zurich insurance. In this regard we are limited to providing quotes from these two reputable home insurance providers and you are of course free to seek quotes elsewhere.
  • We act as an intermediary for all of Ireland's leading life companies and will provide the best quotes available in the market for your life and protection needs. You can view discounted mortgage protection quotes quotes here.
  • Alternatively you can visit our dedicated Life Insurance site www.lifeinsurance.ie  
  • We can suggest a numbered of solicitors offering competitive pricing although we recommend that your choice of solicitor be firmly based on service and reputation.
  • We have recently added structural surveyors to our panel .We recommend that astructural survey be undertaken in all house purchases.
7. Signing offer letters and contracts
  • Having agreed a sale, paid a booking deposit and appointed a solicitor, the next step is for us to arrange a valuation of your property.
  • We will arrange this for you and the valuation will be forwarded to the chosen lender, who in turn will issue a formal mortgage offer letter in respect of the property.
  • We will review the financial element of the offer and ensure that it is in accordance with your requirements. Your solicitor will review the legal element of the offer letter and advise in this regard.
  • Around the same time the seller's solicitor will issue a contract for sale of the property to your solicitor.
  • Your solicitor will not let you sign contracts unless he is happy with the title and he has seen and advised you on the offer letter. 
  • Following signing the contracts are returned to the seller and a closing date is agreed.
  • We will ensure that the life cover and home insurance is in order prior to closing and that any special lender conditions are dealt with prior to closing.
  • A few days prior to closure the solicitor will request the loan cheque from the lender and will arrange for the completion of the transaction on the closing date.
After that its all yours!!!!