3 Things To Do in January To Buy in 2026

If you're thinking about buying a house in 2026, whether that is your first home or moving to another home, here are 3 simple things that you can do to get yourself prepared for the process.

Get your finances in order

January is the perfect time to sit and go through your finances, and we're talking about all of them. If you're thinking about moving, then you need to be really familiar with what is going on in your accounts. It's easy to want to hide away from things if they're a little out of control, but facing them could make all the difference in you getting a mortgage. Bad credit and debt no longer mean that a mortgage is out of reach; we deal with specialist lenders who are there specifically for people in that situation.

Things to look out for are:

1. Missed payments

2. Klarna payments & debt

3. Continued overdraft use

4. Large payments, and what they are

5. Multiple and repeat subscriptions

Check out your real budget

When getting a Decision in Principle, you'll be shown the maximum amount that you can borrow, but it's ok if you don't want to go up that number. There is nothing wrong with purchasing a property that is comfortably within your budget rather than maxing it out. It's vital to think about how much of your budget you truly want to spend on your mortgage and what you're ok with spending in the long run. In the UK, we have seen what can happen with rates overnight and what that means for people's finances. Your mortgage advisor should encourage you to only budget what is truly comfortable for you and your current situation, and in the future.

Speak to someone in the business

Although it's not the norm, you can do your mortgage application yourself, but speaking to someone in the mortgage business is more often than not the best option. This will allow you to access lenders that you wouldn't have been able to do if you were doing it yourself, and advice that is specific to you and your situation. With the rise of AI and the use of ChatGPT for advice, there have been cases of people using it to get financial advice and finding themselves in quite a mess. Within the mortgage process, situations may arise that aren't straightforward, but having the support of an advisor can make those difficulties easier to manage. It can be an anxiety-inducing time having someone scrutinise your finances, but it's a vital step in the process, and your advisor is there to support you and not judge you.