-
they all told me there is little point in even viewing if I don't have an agreement in principle for a mortgage, maybe they were lying, I don't know...
I don't know if they are lying, but a "mortgage in principle" is meaningless.
Work out your deposit, your income, how much you can afford a month and call a mortgage broker. They will tell you what you roughly can borrow. Add this to your deposit and you have what you can afford.
If asked just say, yes, you have a mortgage in principle.
I am not keeping my hopes up, I will be more por active myself when I get back after Easter, there are a few places I am intertested in Croydon / Norwood areas, but they all told me there is little point in even viewing if I don't have an agreement in principle for a mortgage, maybe they were lying, I don't know...