Home School, in association with Ulster Bank, is a six-part series that guides you through the process of buying a house for the first time. Let's be honest; getting on the property ladder can be daunting. Home School, presented by first-time buyer and entertainment.ie's Brian Lloyd, will demystify the home buying process and help first-time buyers not feel so overwhelmed with the process. .

I'll freely admit that, when I started this docuseries, I really was in the dark about a lot of things - and snagging was right at the top of the list.

I knew it had something to do with buying a home, sure, but beyond that, I really didn't have a clue. Thankfully, Joe Lavelle from PropertySnag.ie was able to talk me through the entire process of snagging, what it is, what to look out for, and what to do when you get a snag list.

The first part that surprised me was that you're not necessarily required to do a snag list - but you absolutely should, because a professional snag inspector will know what to look out for. You can even do one yourself, but again, a professional snag inspector will undoubtedly know more than you do.

When it comes to purchasing a new home, Joe taught me that it's important to outline any requests you might have about the home because once you've got the keys, it's out of the builder's hands. For example, if your counter-top in your kitchen is made of a different material, like marble, you need to outline that before it's time for the snag.

As well as this, the amount of snag inspections can vary from development to development, meaning that it's important to check beforehand. As Joe told me, some builders allow only one snag, while some allow multiple snags. Not only that, I also learned about what areas of the house I need to pay close attention, such as the utility room, the gas boiler, and the fixtures in each and every room of the house.

Joe really was such a help, and really showed me how important a snag list was - and was even good enough to answer some of my basic questions.

When you're ready to join the market, you'll need to talk to someone about a mortgage - and that's where Ulster Bank can help. Request a call back to discuss the right mortgage for you at ulsterbank.ie.

Ulster Bank Ireland DAC is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.