First-time buyers: download the ultimate guide to buying your first home

Choosing and buying your first home is likely to be one of the most important milestones in your life.

You have probably sacrificed and saved in order to squirrel away a sum of money for your deposit and are now dreaming of the day you will turn the key in your own front door.

Being able to choose your own fixtures and fittings, curtains and carpets, and go a little bit crazy with the wallpaper, if you feel like it, are just some of the exciting steps you have to look forward to. Getting to that point should be just as exhilarating and stress free.

[Download the Bank of Ireland First-Time Buyer's guide]

Before deciding to buy, it’s important you make sure you are up to speed and well versed with all of the processes around securing a mortgage and purchasing your first home.

Bank of Ireland's First-Time Buyer's Guide offers a comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to know before embarking on your journey to home ownership.

This handy guide will take you through the entire process, everything from deciding to buy and saving for that all important deposit, to putting the finishing touches to your new property. This easy to navigate booklet will steer you through every transaction to ensure the best possible outcome.

You might discover there are some pitfalls or bumps in the road but with this guide, you are more likely to sidestep them or at least be more aware of any issues before they arise.

This is a practical, no nonsense booklet that will tell you how best to save for a deposit, and how to start the mortgage application process.

Choosing a location and then a property to live in is one of the most anticipated steps along the way. You may want to live in the area where you grew up, or perhaps you have decided you want to set up home beside the sea or in a bustling, vibrant city. The choice is yours. House hunting can be hard work but this guide will help you narrow that search, by making you aware of your top priorities when it comes to choosing a location and a property.

It will walk you through all the steps to securing a mortgage and the legal aspect of buying a property, including going sale agreed and signing contracts. It will also give you advice on protecting yourself so that your new home doesn’t throw up any nasty surprises when you move in.

Buying your first home can be a stressful process, but it doesn’t have to be. It just requires plenty of forward planning and careful consideration before you embark on what should be one of the best journeys of your life.

[ Download the Bank of Ireland First-Time Buyer's guide now ]