First property

[Sycamore]

Hi All,

I'm 22, and looking to buy my own place sometime soon. I live in the West Mids, and property is cheap here. I'll likely be going for a small apartment on a quiet development somewhere.

My parents weren't the most financially-savvy people while I was growing up, and I don't want to get into the same cycle of renting and therefore being unable to save for a mortgage etc. My deposit isn't huge, but the properties I've been looking into don't exceed ~£75k

I'll be doing it by myself without any help from family etc, so was wondering if there is anything you wish you'd have known when first buying a property? Particular things to look out for?

Thanks guys.

[Sycamore]

Some great advice here - Thanks all. I have a lot of research to be getting on with.

[Sycamore]

I'm still undecided between going for an apartment/flat, or a small house.
Plenty more choice with apartments for my budget, many of which are in much nicer areas.
On the flip side, less space is a cast off of that.

Houses within budget look ropey and will need some work, so for my first property I am slightly leaning towards an apartment. I'll do some research into whether a help-to-buy mortgage will be better off than a standard mortgage with a lower deposit too.

Much appreciated all.