Using the best mortgage calculator you can find to work out exactly how much you can borrow and how much it will cost you monthly to pay off your mortgage is really only the first step in a long series of steps that will end in you finally getting your mortgage and buying your home. It is an important first step though, so make sure you find a good free mortgage calculator and compare different types of mortgage to find the best deals (perhaps look at a repayment mortgage versus an offset mortgage calculator).
After you have worked out how much you have to spend on your property and have found the home you want to buy you need to go to your chosen lender and get a mortgage in principle. This is a simple process that requires you to fill out forms stating your personal situation, including your income and any financial commitments (to help the lender work out how much money you actually have for repayments).
It should be quite a quick process after the forms have been filled out to get a yes or a no from the lender – and this is your agreement in principle. The mortgage will still only be released to you after the lender has done final checks on the property as well as your own credit to ensure that they are making a sound investment in you and your property.
The lender will generally want a valuation of the property to make sure that they are not paying out more than it is worth. You can bring in your own surveyor but generally the lender will want their own approved surveyor to go in and make sure the property is worth what it says it is. Any work that needs doing on the property is then up to the seller to carry out to bring the cost f the property up to the asking price, or they may just want to reduce their asking price.
Once the valuation has been carried out and the property is proved to be worth what you are asking for in a mortgage loan, the lender will make a final and confirmed mortgage offer. This will be put in writing and provided along with a contract to your solicitor and once you have signed for it the mortgage is yours!