Everything explained in plain English

Not necessarily. Mortgages exist for deposits as low as 5% of the property's value, though the exact deposit you'd want depends on your circumstances and what rates you're hoping to access. Bigger deposits generally unlock better rates, but a smaller deposit is still a legitimate route in.

Yes, plenty will, though the paperwork usually looks different (typically a couple of years of accounts or contracts rather than payslips). Not every lender treats non-standard income the same way, which is exactly where a whole-of-market adviser earns their keep.

It's more nuanced than that. Rent buys you flexibility and someone else handles the maintenance, while mortgage payments build equity in a property you own. Neither is automatically the "wrong" choice, it depends on your stage of life and plans.

An Agreement in Principle (AIP) is a provisional indication from a lender of how much they might lend you, based on a soft credit check. It costs nothing to get, and estate agents tend to take AIP-holding buyers more seriously.

From first chat to getting the keys, it varies a lot depending on the chain and how quickly paperwork moves, often somewhere in the range of two to four months once an offer's been accepted. It's rarely instant, and that's normal.

You don't have to go directly to a bank. A whole-of-market adviser can access deals across the lending market, including some rates that aren't available if you approach a lender yourself.

There isn't one universal number, different lenders use different scoring models on their own data. What tends to matter more than the score itself is your track record: payments made on time, how much of your available credit you're using, and whether there are any missed payments or defaults on file.

Not automatically. Lenders factor existing debt into affordability rather than treating it as an instant block. What matters is whether repayments are up to date and how much of your income they take up.

Yes, joint mortgages are common. Both applicants' income, credit history and debts are generally taken into account, which can increase how much you're able to borrow together, though it also means both of you are responsible for the full amount.

It depends on the adviser and, sometimes, the lender. Some advisers charge a fee, some are paid by the lender instead, and some do a mix of both. It's a completely fair question to ask upfront, and a good adviser will be straightforward about how they're paid.