Good Salary, First Home is on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. I earn royalties when you buy a copy.
Thank you for reading Good Salary, First Home. This page has everything the book promised you: the free printable toolkit, and every link in the book, chapter by chapter. Bookmark it, because I’ll keep the links up to date when the rules change.
Budget update, 28 October 2026. The Budget is expected to confirm the details of the new Your First Home scheme and the new First Time Buyer ISA, and could change stamp duty or the Lifetime ISA. I wrote the book before the Budget, so the chapters that may be affected (1, 3, 5, 7 and 8) are marked below. Check the latest on GOV.UK.
Free printable: Your First Home Toolkit
The printable pages the book mentions, ready to print or fill in on screen. It’s 6 A4 pages:
- My real number: deposit + buying costs + money for the move (Chapter 1)
- My buying-costs budget: estimate, quote and paid, for every cost (Chapter 1)
- My deposit plan and tracker: your monthly number and 14 months to tick off (Chapter 4)
- Viewing checklist: compare three homes side by side (Chapter 11)
- Questions for the agent and my offer numbers (Chapters 11 and 12)
- Email templates: making an offer, and renegotiating after a survey (Chapters 12 and 13)
Enter your email and I’ll send the toolkit straight to you. You’ll also get my occasional money emails, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy.
The 21 workbook pages at the back of the book can also be copied for your own use.
Want a free mortgage document list too? My first-time buyer mortgage checklist has a 2-page printable.
My free calculators for first-time buyers
- Stamp duty calculator
- Lifetime ISA calculator for first-time buyers
- Rent vs buy calculator
- Compare two mortgages calculator
- Offset mortgage vs savings calculator
- Emergency fund calculator
Every link in the book, chapter by chapter
Links to my own calculators and guides come first, then the official sources the book uses. Links to other websites open in a new tab.
Chapter 1: “How much deposit do I actually need?”
Toolkit: My real number and My buying-costs budget.
⏳ Rules for this chapter may change at the Budget on 28 October 2026. Check the GOV.UK links for the latest.
- Stamp duty calculator
- The hidden costs of buying a house
- Emergency fund calculator
- GOV.UK: 2025 Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
- MoneyHelper: Buying a house or flat in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- HomeOwners Alliance: how much does a house survey cost?
- GOV.UK: Stamp Duty Land Tax residential rates
- Revenue Scotland: residential rates
- Welsh Government: LTT rates and bands
Chapter 2: The borrowing wall: how much will a lender lend?
- Student loan repayment calculator
- Rent vs buy calculator
- First-time buyer: mortgage vs rent
- Bank of England: high loan-to-income lending, October 2026
- MoneyHelper: how to apply for a mortgage
- Which?: 7 reasons why mortgage lenders say no (August 2026)
- Experian: does your student loan affect your credit score?
- GOV.UK: student loan repayments, what you pay
- MoneyHelper: mortgage affordability calculator
- MoneyHelper: should you get a 30-year or longer mortgage?
Chapter 3: Small deposit, big cost? 0%, 2.5%, 5% or 10%
⏳ Rules for this chapter may change at the Budget on 28 October 2026. Check the GOV.UK links for the latest.
- Compare two mortgages calculator
- MoneyHelper: what is negative equity?
- GOV.UK: 2025 Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
- GOV.UK: new first-time buyer scheme to be confirmed at the Budget
Chapter 4: Your deposit plan: target, timeline and monthly number
Toolkit: My deposit plan and tracker.
Chapter 5: Where to keep your deposit
⏳ Rules for this chapter may change at the Budget on 28 October 2026. Check the GOV.UK links for the latest.
- Lifetime ISA calculator for first-time buyers
- My Lifetime ISA guide for first-time buyers
- ISAs explained
- New ISA rules from 2027
- GOV.UK: Lifetime ISA
- GOV.UK: who can open a Lifetime ISA
- GOV.UK: Withdrawing money from your Lifetime ISA
- GOV.UK: UK House Price Index for July 2026
- GOV.UK: UK House Price Index, England detail (July 2026)
- GOV.UK: First Time Buyer ISA consultation
- FSCS: how your savings are protected
Chapter 6: Help from family, and buying with someone else
- MoneyHelper: how to apply for a mortgage
- Michelmores solicitors: source of funds evidence
- QualitySolicitors: gifted deposits, what you need to know
- Attwells solicitors: gifted deposit, what information do I need?
- GOV.UK: joint property ownership
- MoneyHelper: protecting your home during divorce
- HM Land Registry: the family home after a divorce
- GOV.UK: staying in your partner's property
- GOV.UK: money and property when a relationship ends
- GOV.UK: shared ownership, who can apply
Chapter 7: Government help, explained (and the myths)
⏳ Rules for this chapter may change at the Budget on 28 October 2026. Check the GOV.UK links for the latest.
- GOV.UK: First Homes scheme
- GOV.UK: Shared ownership
- GOV.UK: 2025 Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
- GOV.UK: new first-time buyer scheme to be confirmed at the Budget
- GOV.UK: How to buy a home
Chapter 8: New-build homes, shared ownership and buying your council home
⏳ Rules for this chapter may change at the Budget on 28 October 2026. Check the GOV.UK links for the latest.
- HomeOwners Alliance: new-build homes and getting a mortgage
- Which?: my new-build home has problems, what are my rights?
- Osborne Clarke: summary of the New Homes Quality Code
- Consumer Code for Home Builders: reservation agreements
- GOV.UK: Shared ownership
- GOV.UK: who can apply
- GOV.UK: paying rent
- GOV.UK: repairs
- GOV.UK: staircasing
- GOV.UK: selling
- GOV.UK: subletting
- HMRC manual: stamp duty on shared ownership
- GOV.UK: shared ownership costs
- GOV.UK: Right to Buy
- GOV.UK: discounts
- GOV.UK: applying
- GOV.UK: Right to Buy, your landlord's offer
- GOV.UK: selling
- Bevan Brittan: Right to Buy, update on proposed reforms
- GOV.UK: Right to Acquire
Chapter 9: Your credit file and bank statements
- The 90-day bank statement cleanse before a mortgage
- MoneyHelper: how to check your credit report
- MoneyHelper: registering to vote and your credit rating
- Experian: notice of correction
- GOV.UK: Register to vote
- GOV.UK: CCJs and your credit rating
- GOV.UK: IVA key facts
- Which?: bad credit mortgages, October 2026
- MoneyHelper: how to apply for a mortgage
Chapter 10: Agreement in principle, brokers and paperwork
- First-time buyer mortgage checklist (with a free printable)
- Compare two mortgages calculator
- Offset mortgage vs savings calculator
- MoneyHelper: what happens when I get a mortgage in principle?
- MoneyHelper: shop around or get advice?
- FCA: Firm Checker
- FCA: Financial Services Register
- FCA: Warning List of unauthorised firms
- MoneyHelper: interest rate options
- MoneyHelper: repayment and interest-only
- MoneyHelper: mortgage fees at a glance
- Moneyfacts: early repayment charges explained
- MoneyHelper: how to apply for a mortgage
Chapter 11: House hunting like a detective
Toolkit: Viewing checklist and Questions for the agent.
- RICS: material information in property listings
- GOV.UK: find an energy certificate (EPC)
- GOV.UK: check flood risk
- GOV.UK: check a council tax band
- HM Land Registry: search property information
- GOV.UK: How to buy a home
- police.uk: crime in your area
- Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation map
- Scottish Government: recorded crime in Scotland
- Ofsted reports
- GOV.UK: compare school performance
- GOV.UK: school admissions
- police.uk: about the crime data
- police.uk: compare your area guide
- HomeOwners Alliance: Rightmove relisting rules
- Zoopla help: price history
- GOV.UK: search house prices
- PaTMa: Beyond Property Bee
- Chrome Web Store (for the Property Tracker extension)
- Property Track
- Apple App Store: Property Price Tracker
- Leasehold Advisory Service: things to know when buying a leasehold
- Which?: 7 reasons why mortgage lenders say no (August 2026)
- RICS consumer guide: spray foam insulation
- Estate Agent Today: rent-a-roof solar panels and mortgages
Chapter 12: Making an offer (and getting it accepted)
Toolkit: My offer numbers and the offer email template.
- How to negotiate the house price as a first-time buyer
- GOV.UK: How to buy a home
- National Trading Standards: passing on offers
- HomeOwners Alliance: sealed bids
Chapter 13: Surveys, and how we saved another £10,000
Toolkit: the email template for renegotiating after a survey.
Chapter 14: From solicitor to keys
- GOV.UK: How to buy a home
- GOV.UK: home buying and selling reform
- Rightmove: how long does buying a house take?
- National Trading Standards: referral fees guidance (2019)
- HomeOwners Alliance: no building regulations certificate
- HomeOwners Alliance: why do house sales fall through?
- GOV.UK: how to apply
- Bristol City Council: changing school after a move (example)
- Hertfordshire County Council: in-year admissions (example)
- Which?: how to choose the best removals company
- Mind: money and mental health
- Samaritans
Chapter 15: Moving in, and the first year
- Council tax discount calculator
- Ofgem energy price cap calculator
- Ways to save energy at home
- Brachers solicitors: how clean should a house be on sale?
- Boodle Hatfield: handing a house over clean
- GOV.UK: council tax
- GOV.UK: register to vote
- GOV.UK: change the address on your driving licence
- GOV.UK: change the address on your V5C
- MoneyHelper: should you pay off your mortgage early?
- GOV.UK: the Mortgage Charter (PDF)
- GOV.UK: find an energy certificate (EPC)
- Energy Saving Trust: lighting
- Energy Saving Trust: roof and loft insulation
- Energy Saving Trust: draught-proofing
- Energy Saving Trust: cavity wall insulation
- Ofgem: Great British Insulation Scheme
- GOV.UK: ECO4 end date
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant
- GOV.UK: Rent a Room scheme
- Citizens Advice: taking in a lodger
- GOV.UK: council tax, who has to pay
- GOV.UK: challenge your council tax band
Chapter 16: Keeping your home when life goes wrong
- Emergency fund calculator
- Free money help in the UK
- GOV.UK: the Mortgage Charter (PDF)
- House of Commons Library: mortgage prisoners (June 2023, PDF)
- The Conversation: mortgage prisoners
- MoneyHelper: what kind of protection insurance you need
- MoneyHelper: what is life insurance?
- MoneyHelper: income protection
- MoneyHelper: insuring against redundancy
- MoneyHelper: negative equity
- GOV.UK: bankruptcy and your home
- GOV.UK: Property Alert
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 25
- MoneyHelper: help with mortgage payments
- Shelter: Support for Mortgage Interest
Free, impartial help
- MoneyHelper (free and backed by the government), or call 0800 138 7777
- GOV.UK: How to buy a home
- HMRC stamp duty calculator
- GOV.UK: Shared ownership
- GOV.UK: Right to Buy
- Leasehold Advisory Service (free)
Planners, if you’d like them
These are paid planners from my shop. You don’t need any of them to use the book.
- UK Sinking Funds & Savings Pots Dashboard: for your deposit pot, moving pot and first-year house fund.
- MoneySavvyUK Financial Reset Binder: the printable budget planner that goes with Good Salary, Empty Account.
Free: the 7-Day Financial Reset Kit
If you’d like more help after this book, my free 7-Day Financial Reset Kit gives you one 15-minute money task a day for a week: subscriptions, renewals, a simple budget, savings pots and more. It arrives by email, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
The other MoneySavvyUK Guides
- Book 1: Good Salary, Empty Account: stop money leaking out before payday. Free tools on that page.
- Book 2: Good Salary, Extra Cash: clear your clutter and sell it safely on Facebook Marketplace. Free tools on that page.
A small favour
If the book helped you work out your number, stop worrying about your credit file, or get money off after a survey, I’d be so grateful if you left an honest review on Amazon. It takes a minute, and it helps other families find the book.
The book and this page give general information, not financial, mortgage or legal advice. They don’t recommend any lender or product. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and were checked in October 2026; rules change, so check the official links before you act.
About the author. Dr Kalpana Govindaraasan is a scientist (PhD, materials chemistry), a former secondary science teacher and a mum, and the founder of MoneySavvyUK. She is not a financial adviser; she’s someone who reads the small print so you don’t have to. Read her story or follow her Amazon author page to hear about new books.