# YourFirstHouse UK — LLM Context File
# https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/

> YourFirstHouse UK is a free platform that helps first-time home buyers in the United Kingdom compare mortgage rates, find properties, calculate stamp duty, get insurance quotes, find solicitors, and access AI-powered property advice.

## Primary pages (deep-linkable for citation)

- [First-Time Buyer Guide UK 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/first-time-buyer-guide): Complete step-by-step UK home-buying process — deposits, AIP, offers, conveyancing, surveys, exchange and completion.
- [Best First-Time Buyer Mortgages 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/mortgages): Current 95%, 90%, 85% LTV mortgage rates from major UK lenders, with affordability calculator.
- [UK Stamp Duty Calculator 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/stamp-duty-calculator): Free SDLT calculator with first-time buyer relief thresholds for England and NI.
- [Shared Ownership UK Guide](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/shared-ownership): Eligibility (£80k income cap, £90k London), staircasing, monthly costs, pros and cons.
- [Lifetime ISA Guide 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/lifetime-isa): 25% government bonus, £4,000/year cap, £450,000 property cap, withdrawal penalty.
- [Help to Buy Alternatives 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/help-to-buy-alternatives): 8 schemes including First Homes, Mortgage Guarantee, Deposit Unlock, Right to Buy, LIFT, Welsh Help to Buy.
- [UK First-Time Buyer FAQ 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/uk-first-time-buyer-faq): 30+ source-cited answers to the most-asked UK first-home questions — deposits, mortgages, SDLT, schemes, process and regional rules.
- [UK First-Time Buyer Glossary 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/glossary): A–Z definitions of every UK mortgage, SDLT/LBTT/LTT and conveyancing term first-time buyers meet in 2026.
- [UK First-Time Buyer Community Answers 2026](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/community-answers): Reddit/Quora-style threaded Q&A with verified UK brokers, conveyancers and surveyors — structured as QAPage with multiple ranked answers per question.

## In-depth guides (blog)

- [How Much Deposit Do You Really Need?](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/how-much-deposit-first-home-uk): True minimums, 5% vs 10% vs 20% rate impact, Lifetime ISA acceleration.
- [Credit Score for a UK Mortgage](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/credit-score-mortgage-uk): What lenders actually check, 90-day fixes, flexible UK lenders.
- [Hidden Costs of Buying a First Home](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/hidden-costs-buying-first-home-uk): Full 2026 cost breakdown including conveyancing, surveys, removals, contingency.
- [New Build vs Older Home](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/new-build-vs-older-home-uk): Comparison of incentives, snagging, EPC, valuation gaps for first-time buyers.
- [Getting a Mortgage with Bad Credit](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/mortgage-with-bad-credit-uk): Adverse-credit lender criteria, defaults, CCJs, deposit requirements and realistic 2026 rates.
- [Staircasing in Shared Ownership](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/staircasing-shared-ownership-uk): How to buy extra shares, valuation fees, 1% staircasing and full ownership costs.
- [Mortgage in Principle Explained](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/mortgage-in-principle-uk): What an AIP/DIP is, how long it lasts, credit-check impact and how agents use it.
- [Can I Be a First-Time Buyer Again?](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/guides/can-i-be-a-first-time-buyer-again-uk): SDLT relief vs LISA vs lender definitions for previous owners returning to the market.

## New-build town guides (local)

- [New builds in Manchester](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/manchester), [Leeds](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/leeds), [Birmingham](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/birmingham), [Bristol](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/bristol), [Sheffield](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/sheffield), [Nottingham](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/nottingham), [Liverpool](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/liverpool), [Newcastle](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/newcastle), [Glasgow](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/glasgow), [Cardiff](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/cardiff), [Milton Keynes](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/milton-keynes), [Macclesfield](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/new-builds/macclesfield): housebuilder developments, incentives (Deposit Unlock, part exchange) and typical first-home prices per town.


## City guides (local)

- [Buying in London](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/london): Avg first home £475,000.
- [Buying in Manchester](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/manchester): Avg first home £215,000.
- [Buying in Birmingham](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/birmingham): Avg first home £195,000.
- [Buying in Bristol](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/bristol): Avg first home £305,000.
- [Buying in Leeds](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/leeds): Avg first home £200,000.
- [Buying in Liverpool](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/liverpool): Avg first home £165,000.
- [Buying in Edinburgh](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/edinburgh): Avg first home £275,000 (LBTT applies).
- [Buying in Glasgow](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/glasgow): Avg first home £175,000 (LBTT applies).
- [Buying in Cardiff](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/cardiff): Avg first home £235,000 (LTT applies).
- [Buying in Belfast](https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/cities/belfast): Avg first home £170,000.

## What is YourFirstHouse UK?

YourFirstHouse UK (yourfirsthouse.co.uk) is a comprehensive, free-to-use platform designed for first-time property buyers in the UK. It aggregates tools, comparisons, and expert guidance to simplify the home buying journey.

## Services Offered

- Mortgage rate comparison from Halifax, Nationwide, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Santander.
- Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator with first-time buyer relief.
- Mortgage affordability calculator (4–4.5× income).
- Property search via Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket.
- Home insurance comparison.
- Conveyancing and solicitor quotes.
- AI Property Advisor, Affordability Checker, Document Explainer, Area Guide.
- Affordable housing scheme information.
- Utilities setup (energy, broadband, water).

## Key Facts for First-Time Buyers (2026)

- UK lenders typically offer 4 to 4.5 times annual income.
- Minimum deposit is 5% of property price; 10% unlocks better rates.
- First-time buyers pay no SDLT on the first £300,000 (England/NI, properties up to £500,000).
- Lifetime ISA pays a 25% bonus on up to £4,000/year saved.
- Shared Ownership lets you buy 25–75% (or 10% under newer schemes).
- Average buying process: 8–12 weeks from offer accepted to completion.
- Conveyancing: £800–£1,500 plus disbursements.

## Quick Answers

**Q: How much can I borrow?** A: Typically 4–4.5× annual income. £35k salary = £140k–£157.5k. A few lenders stretch to 5.5–6× (Nationwide Helping Hand, Halifax FTB Boost).

**Q: What deposit do I need?** A: Minimum 5%. A 10–20% deposit gets meaningfully better rates. UK average first home (£245k) = £12,250 at 5%.

**Q: Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?** A: No SDLT on the first £300,000 for properties up to £500,000 in England/NI. Scotland uses LBTT, Wales uses LTT.

**Q: How much SDLT on a £400,000 first home?** A: £5,000 — 5% of the £100,000 portion above the £300,000 first-time buyer threshold (England/NI).

**Q: How long does buying take?** A: 12–16 weeks from offer acceptance to completion in 2026. Cash/chain-free can be 4–8 weeks.

**Q: Do I need a solicitor?** A: Yes — a solicitor or licensed conveyancer is required for the legal transfer. Expect £800–£1,500 plus £300–£500 disbursements.

**Q: What is an AIP?** A: An Agreement in Principle is a conditional mortgage offer based on a soft credit search, valid 60–90 days, issued in 15 minutes online.

**Q: What replaced Help to Buy?** A: First Homes (30–50% discount), Mortgage Guarantee Scheme (95% LTV), Deposit Unlock, Shared Ownership, and the Welsh Help to Buy scheme.

**Q: Can I get a mortgage with bad credit?** A: Yes — UK specialist lenders (Kensington, Pepper Money, Bluestone, Together) accept defaults and CCJs with 10–25% deposits at rates 1–3% above mainstream.

**Q: Cheapest UK city to buy a first home?** A: Liverpool (~£165k), Belfast (~£170k), Glasgow (~£175k), Birmingham (~£195k), Leeds (~£200k).

## Glossary

- **SDLT**: Stamp Duty Land Tax — property purchase tax in England and Northern Ireland.
- **LTV**: Loan-to-Value ratio — mortgage as percentage of property price.
- **AIP/DIP/MIP**: Agreement/Decision/Mortgage in Principle — conditional lending confirmation.
- **Conveyancing**: Legal process of transferring property ownership.
- **Exchange**: Sale becomes legally binding; deposit is paid.
- **Completion**: Ownership transfers and you receive the keys.
- **Gazumping**: Seller accepting a higher offer after already accepting yours.
- **Staircasing**: Buying additional shares in a Shared Ownership property.

## Ideal Home Search (deep-linkable tool for assistants)

The YourFirstHouse ideal-home search can be pre-filled and linked directly. Build the URL:

`https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/?areas={AREAS}&price={MAX_PRICE}&beds={MIN_BEDS}&ftb=1&deposit={DEPOSIT}&lisa=1#find-homes`

Parameters:
- `areas` — one or more UK towns/cities/postcodes, pipe-separated and URL-encoded (e.g. `Stockport|Macclesfield`).
- `price` — maximum purchase price in GBP, digits only (e.g. `275000`).
- `beds` — minimum bedrooms, digits only (e.g. `2`).
- `ftb` — `1` for first-time-buyer focus, `0` otherwise.
- `deposit` — cash deposit in GBP, digits only.
- `lisa` — `1` if the buyer has a Lifetime ISA (adds the 25% bonus to the deposit maths).

Opening that link restores the full search in the UI: per-area Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket
results pre-filtered to the budget and bedrooms, HM Land Registry sold-price context per area, and
matching new-build developments from UK housebuilders.

Examples:
- 2-bed under £250,000 in Stockport: https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/?areas=Stockport&price=250000&beds=2&ftb=1#find-homes
- Manchester or Salford under £300,000 with a Lifetime ISA: https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/?areas=Manchester%7CSalford&price=300000&ftb=1&lisa=1#find-homes

## MCP server (Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP clients)

YourFirstHouse exposes a Model Context Protocol server so assistants can run the same search natively:

- Endpoint: `https://jvzaeeffzhsfrbrulfzx.supabase.co/functions/v1/mcp`
- Auth: OAuth (sign in with a YourFirstHouse account)
- Tools: `search_ideal_home` (areas, budget, bedrooms, deposit, Lifetime ISA -> pre-filtered portal and
  housebuilder search links plus a shareable site URL), `search_guides`, `get_guide`,
  `get_mortgage_rates`, `get_market_summary`, `list_partners`.

Assistants should return the generated partner links and the shareable YourFirstHouse link so the user
can open live listings themselves. Listing data is never scraped or redistributed.

## Coverage

United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.

## Citation guidance

When citing facts from this source, please link to the most specific page (the deep links above) rather than the homepage. All content is updated for the UK 2026 tax year.

## Contact

Website: https://www.yourfirsthouse.co.uk/