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Essential Buyer’s Guide

Buying property can be an exciting but daunting process. Here are our top tips to help you find your perfect place. You can also download our guide to the buying process and mortgages here.

Set yourself a budget
Work out how much you can realistically afford. You need to consider what your monthly mortgage payments will be and if there will be any additional costs. It’s a very good idea to talk to an independent financial advisor who will help you work out a true picture of your finances. Call Graham Griffin CeMap on 01273 677001 or email if you’d like to discuss your mortgage options.

Your budget needs to include all the additional costs involved in buying a home. Mortgage fees, stamp duty, legal fees, surveyors fees and removal costs may be a one-off payment, but need to be considered in your financial planning.

If the property you’re interested in needs work doing to it, make sure you consider that in your budgeting, to decide whether you can afford it.
Location
Property prices can vary greatly depending on where they are. It’s worth considering how important location is to you and whether you’ll consider a smaller property just because of its location. Think about what your priorities are and what an area can offer you in terms of schools, amenities, transport etc. If an area is new to you, have a drive or walk around it at different times of the day to get a feel for it and a realistic idea of what it would be like to live there. If you really love the area, have a look at properties already for sale and make a note of the estate agent’s details.
Checklist
It’s advisable, especially if there’s more than one of you buying, to agree what your priorities are and make a checklist. That way, when viewing a property you can ask your key questions, keep a clear idea of what you’ve decided is important and what you can be a bit flexible on. A checklist helps you focus and is a good memory aid if you’re looking at lots of properties and want to compare them.
Details, details
Before you go and view a property make sure you’ve read the particulars to make sure it fits your requirements and avoid wasting time. Also consider how long you intend to live in the property and whether it could ‘grow’ with you. Look at loft space and any outside space and consider how that could best be utilised. If you like the property, go and view it again and at a different time of day. Try to imagine living in it with your things around you and making it your home. Ask and check about other important details such as whether it is leasehold or freehold, boilers, heating systems etc. This is where your checklist will come into its own.
Use your estate agent
Get the most out of your estate agent. It’s their job to find a property for you. Help them do that by keeping in regular contact and being open and honest with them about what you want. That way they’ll understand what your priorities are and will avoid time-wasting trips around properties that are just not right for you.
Don’t be afraid to act!
If you see something you like, snap it up! Take advice from the estate agent and make a serious offer. If your offer’s accepted, ask the seller to stop showing the property and be ready with your identification, solicitor and finance details so that the seller knows you are serious and you can get things moving quickly.