Mortgage company launches free coaching courses for first-time buyers

James Green, managing director of Green & Green, with the first-time buyer coaching manual.

FIRST-TIME home buyers are being offered a leg up onto the property ladder by a mortgage and protection consultancy based in East Yorkshire. 

Green & Green has launched a free coaching programme with five places for individuals and couples looking to take their first steps towards owning their own home. 

The participants will be selected during November with the course starting in January, receiving specialist advice and support to build a deposit and understand key aspects of the process including budgeting, improving their credit file, finding a property which suits their needs and circumstances, and preparing an offer. 

The programme will also offer guidance on legal and insurance aspects of buying a house. A mood board will help participants prioritise the key features of their first home, become clear on their goal and walk away with a bespoke plan to achieve it in their desired timeframe. A jargon buster helps people understand such terminology as loan to value, gifted deposit and portability. 

James Green, managing director of the business which he started in 2020, said the scheme is designed to ensure people are able to act quickly when they find their dream home, instead of losing out because of a lack of preparation. 

He said: “The idea came to me earlier this year after we created a DIY guide for first time buyers who can face a maze of deposits, credit scores and unfamiliar language. 

“We encouraged people to read the guide and implement it and then we decided to take the next step of bringing it to life, not with audio or video but with real people living the experience.” 

People interested in joining the programme can register on the Green & Green website from Monday November 2. Typically, they are likely to be starting from scratch and 18 months away from buying. 

James said: “They’ll want to use the time well, not just hope things fall into place. It’s likely they won’t know where to start and won’t have a clue about the process. They’ll  want a bespoke roadmap for their deposit, credit and affordability, not generic advice from a blog. They’ll also want real support along the way, with no fee unless we go on to secure your mortgage together. 

“What to bring? Not money because we’ll advise on how to build savings, but participants will need commitment, discipline and patience. We all know what it’s like trying to save money. You do it when you feel like it but if you turn it into a habit, that makes the difference.  

“We’ll also be setting people homework – things for them to take away and work on. Savings trackers, preparation for the next monthly schedule. If they progress more quickly than we expect we can move things forward – we want people who can take advice and then take action.” 

Preference will be given to candidates from Hull and the surrounding area because the one to one coaching sessions will take place in person and in private at Green & Green’s offices at Bridgehead Business Park, Hessle. They will be supported with regular check-ins by call and email. 

James said: “With the increasing costs of living, people are finding it harder and harder to save. Also there are more news sources and not all of them are helpful – including what parents are telling their kids. They might be passing on very outdated advice. 

“If people have made a mistake in their planning it can take up to six months to put that right. This approach identifies what sort of obstacles some people might face and helps them overcome the problems, making them ready to act when they see the right house – as opposed to finding these issues when it’s too late to fix them. 

“It’s real life advice that people need, often before they realise they need it, and it’s open to anyone. They might think they’re a million miles away from buying a house and they might be pleasantly surprised.”