FTB Looking for a mortgage. Confusing

Hi all,

Me and my partner are looking to move out of our privately rented property next year. We have been saving for a while a deposit and have 10-12% saved up now of houses around the price range we have been looking at (100k - 120k) but are going to try hard for an end of year push for saving up any more we can.

We've been to see a few houses to start getting an idea of what we like and dont like, and what we can expect for our money. We've been to see 4, actually none of them tick the boxes for us, but it was an insight how some of the houses in this price range looked so much bigger and nicer on the photos.

We dont have a mortgage agreed.We did an online decision in principle with our bank, who said they can offer us 115,000, but they may be able to offer us 150,000 after speaking to us.

We went to look at a house over the weekend, 105,000. We didn't particularly like it, but the estate agent told us on the phone we cant put an offer in on a house even we like it until we have sat down and spoke to their financial advisor and got a mortgage agreement. Im wondering if this is just them being a bit pushy about us using their mortgage advisor, i mean, could we not go to an independant one and get an agreement in principle and still put an offer in on one of their houses surely?

It probably would be good for us to go and speak to someone so we have a better understanding of how it works and what to expect, im just wondering if it would be best to go to a mortgage advisor who isn't connected to one of the estate agents we have been talking to. Cost worries me, well, surprise costs worry me. I asked the estate agent how much it would cost to come in and get this agreement in principle and he explained that it wont cost anything until we are purchasing a house and it would only then be payable and be in the region of 400-500 pounds.

I can understand what he was saying. He basically said we will be taken alot more seriously once we have this agreement in principle, because they know they aren't wasting their time showing us homes when in reality we cant get a mortgage, it does make sense. He is calling me through the week, said we can go in next Friday, he will be emailing us some documents he needs us to bring in ie wage slips, statements etc.

A friend of mine who bought his house a few years ago, advised me to not bother, and i could get a mortgage without any fees online without leaving the house and it was an extra unnecessary expense.

Please can anyone advise me?

Thank you