If you’re looking to buy a new home for the first time, or move somewhere bigger and better, then you aren’t alone. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, a total of 1,142,100 home loans were provided in 2006 alone. With regards to where you get your mortgage from, there is more choice than ever – be it through an adviser, on the high street, or an online mortgage.

The great thing about the Internet is that you can do a whole load of research on the area you want to move to and the properties available. And you can also apply for an online mortgage.

Two of the most popular websites when it comes to house hunting are www.rightmove.com and www.findaproperty.com. Both sites ask you to specify the location and type of property you want, as well as the maximum price you are willing to pay – then they supply a list of properties that fit your criteria. Findaproperty also has great additional information on the local area, average prices for certain property types, council tax banding and links to local websites.

Of course, if you find a property you like the look of, you can then click on to Direct Line and get an online mortgage quote through our mortgage calculator. It can tell you what the likely monthly repayments would be for both our fixed rate mortgages and discount tracker mortgages. If you like what you see, you can apply online there and then.