What you need before you buy your first home The deposit When putting a deposit on a home when you are a first-time buyer, you need to remember that you are no longer renting, so the deposit you give affects the mortgage rates you get. It is advised to save as much money as you can over a long period before you buy to better your chances of getting a good rate on your mortgage. It is said to take first-time buyers just under 10 years to save a 15% deposit of their mortgage, so the more you have saved...