First-time buyers underestimating the home-buying process

Hi, I'm writing a story for Mortgage Solutions about how first-time buyers are underestimating the time it takes to purchase their home.

In particular, research by Aldermore suggest they underestimate the time by five months from viewing to completion.

I’m looking for some thoughts on this and how first-time buyers can be helped to navigate the process? 

• Do first-time buyers have realistic expectations about the homebuying process?
• What do you find is the most difficult phase of the homebuying journey for first-time buyers?
• What is the best way to get first-time buyers prepared for the process?