For most of us owning a home is an agenda that tops our list of "things to do before I retire." But the unfortunate part is that in most cases all this remains a mere fantasy, which dies an unfortunate death the moment it meets the reality of monetary considerations.

Don't let your dream home remain a mere air castle for you. You can now translate your dream home into a concrete reality by availing a mortgage. As a first time buyer there are bound to be a lot of doubts in your mind. This piece of writing hopes to address some of those queries.

The first thing for you to do before taking the plunge into the property market is to ask yourself these questions: how much can I afford? What kind of a home do I want to live in and finally how much of a mortgage do I need to borrow?

There are various elements that ascertain the amount of mortgage you can borrow. Your credit history and the deposit that you can make towards your mortgage are some of the key elements. The bottom line is that higher is your deposit on the mortgage, more will be the mortgage options you will have at your disposal.

The key to a good property hunt is research. Get on the Internet and you are sure to find out for how much was a property similar to the one you want to buy sold at. This will give you a fair estimate about the asking price of the property before you go knocking on the estate agent's door.

Before you sign a contract with your estate agent, you must ensure that s/he is registered with National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). Such a move will allow you to take your complaints to a third party for redress, should such a situation arise.

Also, before you actually make up your mind, be sure to visit the property a couple of times and at different times of the day. Also try and find out about the typical monthly bills of amenities like water, gas and council tax. This will help you to realistically gauge the actual cost of living in the home. Don't forget to make leeway for additional costs like solicitor's fees, conveyance fees and other taxes.

A great way of getting the mortgage of your choice is to request for multiple mortgage quotes online. This will give you a fair idea about how much you can avail. Follow all the aforementioned tips and in no time at all you will become the proud owner of a new home.