Owning your own home

@roboto - There are so many potential ways around that problem. I would never encourage you to commit minor money laundering on a public forum though. Obviously.

• I am currently on electoral register... in a different town. It is the address where my credit card and bank statements go. Better or worse than being on it here?
  
  
  

Pretty much neutral. Apply from that address.

• We have a whole of market broker. Who said not to start moving the deposit into current accounts yet, and to leave it where it is.
  Good! Do what they say, they're the expert.

• I've spoken to a solicitor who said not to instruct/appoint them until after an offer is accepted.

Good, important thing is having them lined up and ready to go.

• I have one credit account which is paid in full within 1 month about 90% of the time.

• Credit report then.

Ultimately it's probably right or mostly right. You can't change your actual history, but it would be good to know now if there are any glaring errors so you can decide whether to go through with a full application or not.

Ok, some of the deposit is a gift. I don't have any paperwork for that yet.
But I do have my own paperwork for a load of savings that exceed the value of the gift. Is there any point in me taking that stuff to show the estate agents?

No paperwork unless they ask for it (that kind of thing doesn't normally go to the agent as they won't be providing your mortgage), but there is no harm in making sure they are fully aware of your situation. The way the market has been for the last few years it's so competitive that you want to sell yourself to them as a good prospect.

Robbie even wrote them an email, basically saying "We're both in permanent jobs, our income is X, we have saved Y as a deposit, are first time buyers so chain free and have a mortgage pre-approved/in principal". The agent wants to close the sale and you want to get ahead of anyone who isn't such a good prospect.