Finding a Property to Buy

Unfortunately, there is no central listing service in the UK, so finding a property to purchase can involve a lot of legwork and a lot of organisation.  In most towns' local newspapers, a property section is produced where estate agents will advertise a selection of properties that they have on their books.  This is a good way of finding out roughly what properties in different parts of a town sell for. Our Area Information guides detail the newspapers for an area, and also contain broad property price information. 

There are a number of things to do before taking the plunge:

If you'd prefer, our Relocation Services will take care of every aspect of your move. If schools are an issue and you need to sort out both new schools and housing, our expert relocation counsellors can help you.

Where to Live?

The first thing you need to do is decide where you want to live.  Make sure you research everything about the area - crime rates, council tax level, leisure facilities.  Consider the transport links, how long it will take you to get to work, are the facilities sufficient for your requirements, are there good schools in the area?  All these are big influencing factors on your final choice of location. Check out our Area Information. 

Do try to visit the areas you are considering living in at different times of day and on different days of the week- is it always quiet or do the local children all hang out in that part of town? Although it may seem to be defeating the object of looking for a house; ensure you consider how easy it will be re-sell the house once it's time for you to move on.  Always remember the golden rule of buying a house - 'location, location, location'.

Relocation Agents - We Do It All !!

Why not use a relocation specialist to help you? We'll do all the legwork of finding a house or apartment for you. We'll also negotiate the deal for you, and our service partners will help you to sort out a mortgage, get the legal work done, and your removal organised. We'll also help you to sort out schools, and the million and one other jobs, like arranging for telephone service, and utility accounts set-up, that all need to be done. We provide a highly efficient and cost-effective service. Check us out!! 

Estate Agents

Once you have a good idea of where you want to buy, you need to visit as many estate agents as you can to see what is available.  There are often dozens of different estate agents within a town and although some of them will have the same properties it is usual that people will only instruct one estate agent to sell their house, so legwork is the key to ensuring that you are fully aware of everything that is on the market.  Our Agents Registration service can register your property requirements with estate agents. 

The estate agents will then usually mail property details to you as new property becomes available - however, despite the fact that you will have carefully advised the agent of your criteria, don't be surprised to receive details of properties that clearly do not match what you are searching for!  

Anyone can set up business as an estate agent, and no formal training or qualifications are needed to do the job.  Unfortunately, estate agents have attracted a poor reputation - often likened to used-car salesmen - for 'over-dressing' the descriptions of a property in order to sell it and of being very pushy in their negotiations.  

Most of the larger groups of estate agents voluntarily subscribe to NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents). This is a governing body which standardises the levels of service and conduct offered by it's members. The property details they compile to describe the features of the property are covered by the Property Mis-descriptions Act, to try to cut down on the misleading language that used to be a 'feature' of estate agent's details.

The Internet

The internet is becoming an increasingly popular method of searching for properties.  A lot of estate agents have realised that it is a powerful marketing tool and will do everything they can to ensure that their web pages are kept up to date.  However, a disappointingly large amount of agents do not put as much effort into it as they should and it is a common occurrence to telephone an agent to request full details of a property only to find that it is under offer or sold.

The internet is a good way of getting started and obtaining a feel of what is happening in the market, but local knowledge and specialist advice are still important.

Viewings

Before you start viewing properties, make sure you have spoken to a mortgage adviser to know how much money a mortgage lender is likely to approve you for.  The last thing you want to happen is to find your dream home only to later find out that you can't afford it.  When planning your budget, be sure to include mortgage arrangement fees, surveyors costs, legal fees, stamp duty, life insurance, building and contents insurance and removals.  They all add up very quickly and certainly make a difference to what you originally thought you could afford.

It is a good idea to make a list of definite "must haves" that you are not prepared to compromise on, along with a list of "nice-to-haves" that you could live with out if everything else is right in the property.  Don't feel as though because you have seen twenty houses you have to choose one of them - if the property doesn't feel right, then keep looking.  Don't compromise on things that are important to your life-style.

Viewing properties can be good fun, but is also very tiring.  We would normally expect to see a selection of approximately ten properties in a day's viewings.  Do try to view the properties in daylight hours so that subtle lighting is not masking any horrors.  The property market does move fairly fast and good homes that are sensibly priced can go under offer very quickly.  However, never rush into something without making a considered decision.  It's very easy to fall in love with a house and therefore have your instincts clouded against any potential problems. 

Placing an Offer

You've finally found the property you've been searching for, but how do you start the process of making it yours?

Firstly, don't make an offer there and then at the time you are viewing.  This will leave you with no room for negotiation as the vendor will know that you love the property.  Go home, think about it for a while and then decide at what level you want to open your bidding on the house. When deciding your offer, take into account the condition of the property and the likely cost of any repairs. Deduct these from what you think the house is really worth if everything was in good condition. You should also decide in advance what fixtures and fittings you want the vendor to leave behind.  

When negotiating, it is quite usual to knock at least five percent off of the asking price of a property in good condition - sometimes even more. Before you offer, decide what is the maximum price that you are willing to pay for this house - and stick to it!  It is very easy to get emotionally attached to the house, but if it's not worth what you are offering, the mortgage company will not lend the money you need to buy it.

The usual way to make an offer on a house is to call the estate agent and advise them how much you are wanting to pay.  They will then ask you some questions which will clarify what purchasing position you are in and then put the offer forward to the vendor.  When you place your offer, state that the offer is "subject to contract" and "is to include . . ". If you have any other terms and conditions that you'd like to impose, such as "exchange of contracts within 28 days", then that's the time to make yourself clear. It can take a little while for the vendor to think about your offer, so don't expect to get an immediate response.

In some cases there may be two or more people interested in the property.  Rather than keep going backwards and forwards between the parties, the estate agent and vendor may agree to enter into a 'sealed bids' deal.  This is where all people interested in buying the property are asked to write their best bid on a piece of paper and then put it in a sealed envelope and submit it to the estate agent.  On the day that the bids close, the estate agent will open all the bids and the highest 'wins' the house.  In this instance you would not be able to increase your offer any further if yours was not the winning bid. 

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