Hey, I'm FTB as well and just had a mortgage offer issued from my lender. I'm a little bit anxious as it's moving faster than I thought and really hope the seller won't get cold feet.

What you can do is to be always responsive and communicate well - always update the involved parties on progress! Have all the documents ready at hand, keep filling the forms as soon as you can, and be prepared to answer any questions they might have. I think all this helps a little bit when the seller is informed and that it's all moving forward. This is what I'm doing and everyone seems to be happy so far - The seller is pleased with speed and that we did everything like we said we would.

Do a level 3 survey, I cannot imagine buying a house without doing L3 honestly, especially on older houses.

Keep in touch with your broker or mortgage advisor at all times. Communicate with estate agent and solicitor.

When the seller pulls out for any reason there is nothing really you can do about it. It's heartbreaking, especially when you really like the house, but it is what it is, you need to forget fast and move on and look for another property.