Just Married? Here's How to Get the Keys to Your First Home

First comes the wedding, then comes… a very big question: where are we actually going to live? If you've recently tied the knot, the first home conversation usually isn't far behind, and I love having it with couples, because buying your first place together is one of life's genuinely brilliant moments.

It can also feel overwhelming, especially when you've just spent a small fortune on a wedding. So here's the honest, jargon-free version of what newlyweds need to know.

Two incomes can be a superpower

Buying as a couple often means lenders will look at your joint income, and that can meaningfully change what's within reach. Two salaries usually means a bigger borrowing figure than either of you could manage alone, which is why the wedding-then-house order of events often works out rather neatly.

But, and it's an important but, lenders look at the whole picture: your outgoings, any car finance or credit cards, and yes, that lingering wedding loan. Two incomes and two sets of commitments go in together.

The deposit question (and the wedding-fund hangover)

Plenty of couples come to me saying the same thing: “we had savings, but the wedding ate them.” You're not alone, and it's not the end of the story:

• You may need less than you think. Some lenders offer mortgages with as little as a 5% deposit, on a £250,000 home, that's £12,500, not the £50,000 many couples assume.
• A Lifetime ISA can help you rebuild fast. If you're both eligible, each of you can save into one and receive a government bonus on top, a couple saving together can make real progress in a year or two.
• Family help counts too. Gifted deposits from parents are common and completely normal, they just need documenting properly, which is exactly the sort of thing I handle.

Sort the boring-but-brilliant bits early

A few unglamorous jobs make a huge difference to how smoothly your application goes:

• Check both of your credit reports, and if you've changed your name since the wedding, make sure your bank, employer and the electoral roll all agree on what it is.
• Get registered to vote at your current address. It's one of the quickest credit-score wins there is.
• Start a paper trail: three to six months of tidy bank statements makes you a much more attractive borrower.

Protect the life you're building

Here's the part I'd gently urge every newlywed not to skip: once there's a mortgage, and especially once there's a family, you're no longer just planning for yourself. Life insurance and income protection are rarely anyone's idea of romance, but making sure the person you love could keep the home if the worst happened? That might be the most romantic paperwork you ever sign. A will is worth the same conversation, marriage actually changes what happens to your estate, and most couples have no idea.

Your first step costs nothing

Every couple's situation is different, different incomes, different savings, different dreams. That's why I always start with a free, no-obligation chat: we'll look at what you could borrow, what deposit you realistically need, and build a plan to get you those keys. Congratulations on the wedding, now let's get you home.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.