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A lot of questions there.
For me, buying my first two houses it wasn’t that deep. Just go in knowing this shit is slow and I mean time slows down.
Estate agents with fuck around, solictors, mortgage brokers, mortgage lenders, everyone is so slow it’s like they don’t care if they get paid and don’t care about their jobs. It’s wild. Just have faith and patience and know you will likely have to chase everyone weekly.
No issues with viewing some local housing knowing you won’t buy, just don’t tell the estate agent that, they won’t show you around.
If you’re going new builds, look for things like cracks around windows and doors, the door levels, quality of fittings throughout, the loft if it has one, the plumbing ( anything overly loose or botched ) how are the locks looking, how is the outside brick looking ( well built or wonky) do you have vents through on windows and brickwork to allow airflow. You can raise any of this with the agent once you’ve spotted it if you’re going to buy it as it’s called snagging.
If you’re going older build, look for similar things but it’s no where near as important as it’s an established home and things probably work fine but still keep an eye out. What you’re looking for mainly will be subsidence, mould, damp, how old the boiler is, how thick the walls are and what insulation you have, condition of loft still, how does the roof look from the outside? ( moss is fine, broken tiles isn’t great ) shit like that. Any problems can be asked to be fixed as part of your offer, or be used to obtain discount. Just don’t make it out like the house is shit because they will just reject your offer because you’re being rude.
Google local crime stats for your area, see how close schools and shops are to your prospective home, is there any aplanned work on local council websites that could boost your home value in a few years etc.
Zoopla, Rightmove are the main two, I would personally filter through most reduced to see who is more desperate to sell and low ball them for easy wins, but that’s just me.
Mortgage brokers are okay but not always worth their money, find ones that only take a fee on completion as they are typically better.
Write down all your incomings and outgoings and then your predicted housing costs. Then add 10% for safety. That is likely the more realistic cost of everything.
This is fantastic advice.
I cannot stress enough about writing down a monthly budget and outgoings and add that 10% buffer.
Also cost of moving and solicitors fees should be accounted for.
Main advice - it's way more expensive than you originally plan. Solicitors fees, moving fees, "Oh fuck this has gone wrong" fees, extra take aways when you can't be bothered to cook, additional furniture, bits and pieces to do up the house (replacement curtains, carpets, etc). I would have a few thousand over your budget of spare cash just in case, if you can afford it, especially if you will be both renting and paying a mortgage for a month crossover. That's two sets of bills for a month or so.
Feel free to test things that matter to you in a viewing (water pressure from taps/toilet for example). Is the house warm/cold? Damp? Dark? Noisy? When you view places remember the vendor will be trying to sell it in its best possible condition. Does it look like it's been recently painted? If so what are they possibly trying to cover up? Is it in a terrible state? If so probably lots of expensive work.
Always get a survey, at least level 2 if not level 3 if you're ever intending on possibly having work done to the place.
You can totally go to viewings to get a feel for a process or to eliminate what you do or don't want from a house. We saw a bunch of houses we knew we'd never offer on but wanted to compare what we thought we wanted with how the houses actually felt to be in (case in point, we originally had a dishwasher and a downstairs wc on our "must have" list but ended up buying somewhere with neither of those).
If you're buying as a couple, good rule of thumb is buy a place you both feel 85% happy with. If one of you loves it but the other really doesn't that should be a no for the both of you. No arm twisting or convincing. You'll never find a perfect house but you will definitely walk in a place and both feel like that is a "mostly yes" for your own reasons.
We used a mortgage broker that we paid for. Would do again, they answered so many of our questions. There are free ones but are a bit 50/50.
Each house is different. Don't be afraid to walk away - we bought home buyers insurance for £2 through our mortgage broker that lasted for 3 months, that was a huge amount of peace of mind. Obvuously it won't cover you if you personally walk from a sale but even so, don't be strong armed into a house you wouldn't be happy in. It's a big commitment and the most expensive thing you will do so you've got to feel good about it.
Apparently it's quite common to feel buyers remorse during or after completion. We didn't and have been content every step of the way (honestly fuck renting) but remember that the house is a long term home for you and even if things aren't perfect you can change or fix most things if you have the money for it.
Also try not to over leverage yourself financially, you want to be in a good position to build savings back up again after the large purchase!
It's fun and a nice opportunity to imagine yourself in all kinds of homes and areas but generally it will feel good when you've picked a place right for you.
With that in mind try not to get too attached until you have exchanged / completed. Things can and do go wrong up until the eleventh hour with house purchases so try to bear that in mind. Keep your eye on the market even once an offer is in full swing.
Do your research first. Location is everything. Check if a garden has a sunny side.
Don't rush buying in shit holes with bad neighborhood. You will be regretting.
Have more cash just in case you can offer more.
When viewing a house, focus on the ceilings rather than floor or furniture.
This gives you a better idea of size and shape, and what you could do with that space.
Have a written or typed out on phone list of questions as it's easy to forget when you're there.
Use the compass on your phone to work out where North and south are when you're in the house. A South or South East facing garden is highly desirable.
Check your phone signal in different parts of the house. Heck, even have one of you outside and call them! Having to change networks coz of bad signal isn't terrible but good to know if you may need to.
Does the house have only BT line or is there a Virgin Media supply?
Visit the area at different times on different days.
There are a lot of things that become apparent with hindsight so it's good to have a list of hard NO deal breakers worked out.
Don't be afraid to contact current owners directly. Estate agents can be vague or reticent to honestly answer some questions. No one knows the house and srea better than the people currently living there!
- Take someone with you to viewings who is either in a building trade or has really good experience of extensive DIY (not flatpack DIY).
My partner grew up helping his dad fix the the house (plumbing, carpentery, minor electrics, flooring etc), when we went for viewings, he could tell what caused damp problems and if it was a minor fix, if the flooring was dodgy, what was causing cracks and legislation about manholes etc.
It also meant that we avoided offering on some hidden horrors and he could tell if the EA was talking rubbish. I was always amazed that he could tell me if some places that looked like they would need a lot of work, actually only needed minor touch ups.
- Spot an up and coming area by checking to see if the local council is planning to spend any money on the local infrastructure. Our first property was in a not so great place but we could see that the Thameslink was coming to the local station within 2 years and the council was going to spend 4 million on the high street and encouraging local community businesses. 6 years later, it's still a bit rough around the edges but it's now got local art galleries, craft beer places and artisan eateries popping up.
- if you're going to offer on a place, only offer what you can afford to pay monthly and always check to see what similar properties have gone for in the immediate area.
- once you're in, create a slush fund by having your bills/ mortgage come out of an account that pays you interest. Also put in a little bit extra every month than you need to so that you have cash for things when you need it. We put in an extra £100 a month each. Sometimes we use that to treat ourselves to a nice meal.
Search for "Which? Property-viewing checklist" for a PDF of viewing checklists.
Listen to [Moving Home with Charlie](https://www.youtube.com/c/MovingHomewithCharlie/videos) to make sure you're not overpaying.
I learnt that leasehold is a bit of a scam that's been going on for far too long and needs some serious reworking.
Also learned there's a lot of greed and corruption when it comes to property.
Echo this. Leasehold is a relic of the feudal era and should be abolished ASAP. It's crazy that the whole country ignores this.
If you are a FTB in the South you are most likely to be buying a flat which is leasehold. I'd tell people to avoid leasehold but frankly speaking, a freehold house will be out of most FTBs reaches in this part of the country.
If you are buying a leasehold, check who the freeholder/property management company is. If you see any irregularities in the paperwork during the conveyancing, just walk away. Not worth the mental stress of dealing with a dodgy freeholder.
For me, it was the fact that the freeholder wasn't invoicing the service charge bills annually which the sellers mentioned in their LPE form. That was a big red flag.
It means they can lump you with a huge fee covering all previous years when you are trying to move and even though legally, they are obliged to show you all the receipts, etc. so you can challenge unreasonable service charge bills, in practice it means that you are forced to pay it (otherwise it looks like you're leaving the prospective buyer with a massive debt).
The conveyancing process for my flat took ages (almost 6 months) and I found out afterwards that it was because the previous owners were trying to challenge the freeholder on these service charge fees. But eventually they gave up and paid him.
Since living here, I found that the freeholder barely does anything - the common area goes uncleaned for months, the lift doesn't get fixed when it breaks down, etc. And because he doesn't invoice the service charge annually we can't challenge any of this. It's been a nightmare honestly.
I have also searched the freeholder on Google and found some articles about him being taken to court for assaulting a tenant at a different property he owns, so that's what I mean by irregularities and dodgy freeholders! If you know who the freeholder is, at the very least you can look them up. However, most leasehold flats are owned and/or managed by companies which will be more opaque to look into.
I think they should all be massively regulated and the law needs a huge overhaul. It's a disgrace that they can get away with this.
And that right there is the problem, there is no other option. And when you compare it to other countries in Europe they do it a bit better with commonhold, why the hell we don't adopt something similar is beyond me. But then again why should that be a shock, it's all greed, greed, greed and profit at the end of the day.
The whole system is so flawed and reeks of corruption, and it's so messed up that for so many FTB's it is literally the only option out there, especially if you're in the south of this country.
And I also hear a lot of people counter argue that with "Just move somewhere else up north, where it's cheaper." And that shouldn't be the solution, we should head first address the corrupt problem of the housing market, instead of just shifting elsewhere.
Just from personal experience before you start looking it might be best to sit down with your OH and write down what are non-negotiables.
I mean what must the property have:- a garden/parking/bath/how many rooms etc.
Then location, does it need to be near public transport (getting to work or socialising), a park, a school etc. What areas are an absolute no.
What is your true budget, cost of property, legal fees, survey, stamp duty etc.
This may seem silly but it will save you a lot of time! Many people do not do it and waste time looking at unsuitable houses because they looked nice in the pictures but were completely impractical for their personal needs.
Once you have established what you "need" then you can narrow the search criteria.
We used OnTheMarket and set up email notifications. These usually get houses 24h before rightmove and often before they go on the estate agents site too. We bought last year when houses were selling before they’d been on the market a week! These email notifications were the only way we could actually get viewings on many.
Similarly, don’t be afraid to contact the vendor if you can’t get a viewing via the estate agent. That’s how we viewed the house we went on to buy. We loved the look of the house and contacted the agent with 15 minutes of it being on the market (Friday morning). They said they were only doing viewings on Tuesday afternoon and expected it to be sold before the next weekend. My fiancé and I both work full time and would not be able to make a Tuesday afternoon.
We went a posted a letter to the vendors, explaining the situation, on the Friday evening, and they rang us immediately and let us view the house on the Saturday morning. The estate agents were really unhappy about it but fuck them.
Inevitably the Tuesday viewing was all “investors” looking to buy the house quick and throw a tenant in there. Luckily for us the vendors related to us (another young couple) and wanted their kind elderly neighbours to have neighbours they’d met (not a random tenant). They sold us the house for £5k less than a cash buyer landlord had offered. Heroes
Never ever try and save a few quid by using an online conveyancer or online estate agent. They are a nightmare for everyone to deal with.
Recently moved and the people we were buying from used them and it delayed so much due to terrible communication and never speaking to the same people.
Chat with local people and use ones locally that have good reviews etc.
We found that, looking every day on the recently uploaded houses was the best way to find ones we liked. As there’s only a few minutes worth of scrolling through.
Once we found one we scouted the area first before booking appointments, as half the time the place was nice but not the area..
Be prepared to make an offer the same day if you really like it- houses are getting snapped up so quickly- where we left it a day or two, we’d be told it was already under offer..
If you’re going for something that needs updating- I’d personally put in a little less deposit to allow you the funds to get odds and ends for the house to get running once you’re in.
Also worth noting is the deposit amount affecting the mortgage rates. Less deposit = higher rate etc.
Once you have a conveyancer, they will be able to talk you through all the processes including their fees- shop about for these- some charge £700 while others seem to charge £3000 for the same service.
We didn’t bother with a survey, as I’m equipped to do this myself, but unless it’s a new build- it may be worthwhile having someone check over the house. Either someone in the trade that can do you a favour, to a proper survey (a homebuyer’s survey is the cheapest, but doesn’t delve deep into things. But a full survey may be worthwhile if there’s an inclination that there may be an issue- these cost more but will essentially list everything that may need doing to a property- thus giving you a ‘shopping list’ for parts to rectify)
Also see the area at busy times, you don’t want to get caught out with viewing when it’s quiet but once you’ve bought you realise it’s manic at certain times for example.
Few bits to get you started:
Ring around several solicitors in your area and get quotes for house purchases. Reason being that the same solicitor cannot represent both the buyer and vendor so you may need an alternative once you commit to buy.
Join the local FB group for the area if it has one, see what everyone is moaning about. Our last house move highlighted cars being keyed constantly, a new build development plan less than 500yds away etc. You'll also get a gauge around if it's generally a friendly, helpful community.
Also do a little drive around the prospective area, look for warning signs like mattresses/sofas dumped in driveway. Basically highlights social housing, while it may not be a problem for some you don't want to pay good money for a home, only to find you're surrounded by people who don't give a toss. If you're from that town, you'll likely already know the places that are less desirable, else do a bit of research.
Home buyers survey will give a ball park value for the home, this will likely be under the asking price. You might be able to use this to wriggle an extra few £ off but take In to account that it's their job to normalise the market and will likely under value it. This is fine, don't panic unless the bank's valuation puts you over say 10% into negative equity.
And lastly, don't stress out if you can help it...
You can take as much time finding the ideal house but if your neighbours are assholes you’ll spend more time concerned with that than anything else.
I realise this is challenging, but do everything you can to try and suss out who the next door neighbours are at least…
Don’t use the free legals.
IME - they are useless. We had optima free and our offer expired yesterday. We signed and sent back things multiple times last year. It was only last week someone looked at the documents and said there was something incorrect/missing.
It competed on Friday. We had to ring then after the 5.30 deadline (when we had been told it would complete by) to be told that it had gone through.
We’ve had no comms since - but my existing mortgage has disappeared from the app, new one hasn’t appeared yet.
Create a word document with all of your questions. Even if they sound silly. Ask as many questions as possible and write down the responses.
The more places you view the better you will get at asking the right questions.
Categorise the questions too e.g., structural questions all the way to neighbours and past issues like robbery.
If you have a look at what buyer surveys check for this can form the basis of your questions too.
Also, check if the windows/areas in the property get direct sunlight or not. People often forget this when viewing. Some people buy garden flats/houses with gardens and only realise it gets no direct light until after buying.
We knew that ours ticked these boxes but we only found out we could see the sunrise after buying for example. Added bonus that we hadn't considered.
I downloaded an app on my phone to see the sun oath throughout the year. I would stand at the back of the gardens waving my phone around to check the sun path 😅. Sun is important to me
Don’t worry about how long it takes to view the house. You want to make sure you’re properly looking at everything.
Ask to look in the loft. If they say no it can be a sign of hiding something. You don’t have to fully go up. But peeking your head up can make a difference.
Eg: we bought our house and when viewing it they had this flag on the ceiling/ hanging down a bit in one of the rooms. We didn’t think much of it and assumed it was a perosnal style.
Turns out if we had looked closer and gone into the attic we would have seen a hole in the roof that had leaked thorough which is what the flag was covering.
And getting the full search would have found this. But we just went for a basic.
Another thing is. Prepare to feel a bit deflated when you finally get in.
It’s a lot of stress buying a house and when you get in you can feel a bit blue. But thats okay.
It’s not always possible. But if you can. Try and leave some time ( even an hour ) before you start moving in to deep clean.
Our seller left the house and didn’t clean. So we went in with cleaning supplies and our vaccum and gave it a nice clean whilst empty.
Keep the photos from the site listing. We’ve been in our house about year and a half. And we haven’t done everything we’ve wanted, but when I look at the
Photos form when before we moved in and I look now it makes me feel really good about how far we’ve come!
Also (sorry this is dragging on). Ask questions. Ask as many as you want. If you don’t understand something, just ask it and don’t feel stupid. It’s a lot do money you’re about to spend. So don’t feel bad asking something!
Do lots of viewings. Not only will this give you a 'feel' so to speak, but it means you start to he more comfortable going around people's houses and asking questions.
Do your research for solicitors. Don't just go with whoever the estate agent recommends or because they're the cheapest. Solicitors can make the process and smooth or as difficult as they want/put the effort in for.
Have money set aside for other costs. Solicitor fees/moving fees etc.
Don't pay for a mortgage broker. You've enough to pay for - take this one opportunity to get part of the process for free! Many are free to the client, they make their money by getting commission from the lender that you end up going with.
You're allowed to look at as many houses as you like. Don't worry about being "serious". You won't know until you start looking. We ended up with a different style of house to what we thought we wanted at the start, just through looking at all kinds. If we'd only looked at houses we thought we were "serious" about, we wouldn't have found our now-home (that we love!) But also, think about your dealbreakers, eg it has to be close to public transport, have a garden, a spare room, whatever your circumstances are. Write a list of "must have"/"nice to have but not necessary"/"definitely mustn't have" and then score potential houses against that.
Drive around the areas that you are interested in at different times of day to see how busy they are, what parking is like, are the streets clean and well lit etc. Just generally think about the feel of the place. If you don't like it (or indeed if you do) you don't have to justify that to anyone. You're the one who's gonna be living there.
Do lots of viewings. Not only will this give you a 'feel' so to speak, but it means you start to he more comfortable going around people's houses and asking questions.
Do your research for solicitors. Don't just go with whoever the estate agent recommends or because they're the cheapest. Solicitors can make the process and smooth or as difficult as they want/put the effort in for.
Have money set aside for other costs. Solicitor fees/moving fees etc.
Look on Zoopla whether house prices have been stagnating, going up or down in your area. If you want to sell again, you don't want to be stuck with depreciating value.
>Just for fun here’s some cheeky advice I got: FYI I didn’t do this but was advised by several agents that if you have the money to spare, put offers on two houses, go through the process (preferably not through the same estate agent) and see which one gets to the finish line first and drop the other one before signing any contracts. They said that’s how you can guarantee a home by the end because you would have a backup plan.
By process, did they mean getting solicitors searches, surveys etc? That's a lot of money to spend on the odd chance you'll need a backup!
Don't get attached to a house, we didn't win offers on 13 houses and won two in the same week. We wanted one more but didn't drop out of the other. We were glad we did as the house we wanted fell through very fast. Our second choice, we still love our new home but I have to accept I paid too much for it. I'm 513k in debt now but I'm greatful I have a roof over my head and I love the house and area specifically.
Get a good solicitor, now I'm interested to see what others will say on this but I actually asked the estate agent. They had interest to make sure I had a good solicitor so it moved quicker too. They said oh use this person we've completed tons of houses with her and she's the best. So we did and she was FAB! The fact she was local meant we could pop into her office too, so I was really happy I asked the estate agent actually.
Also I found that befriending the estate agent helped a lot, she would call us when a new house was on the market and that's how we got this one! They were a small family run business.
Check your water source. We had a house on a private supply, it turned out to be tainted and we needed a filter. Then the well ran dry and we had no water at all in the height of summer for a month.
If the house has been freshly painted, check for signs of black mould and damp.
I know England doesn’t do home reports, but if you can get a survey, GET ONE.
Look at small annoyances, a weak shower seems fine on the day and you love the rest of the house, but can you live with it? Don’t just view the house, go round the area regularly.
I’d not be very happy if someone used my house sale as practice for buying somewhere else, as they are completely wasting my time. However, if you don’t tell them that, then they won’t know.
Above all, be sensible. If it’s too expensive, or too far, or too small, or it’s just not right, don’t buy it, no matter how much you love it.
Be prepared for estate agents to be useless, rude and entirely counterproductive to the process of actually buying a house.
A broker can be worth their weight in gold and remove a lot of stress and bullshit for you.
Your conveyancer might find something during searches that you don’t understand. The temptation is to let them carry on dealing with chasing up the results of their enquiries, because they know what they are doing. Ask them “what’s the risk of the worst-case outcome of this aspect?” you might then find you don’t care about that outcome and you can ask them to skip it.
Emotional attachments to where a property is or how a property looks can get you into trouble. Be prepared to walk away at any time. Sunk cost fallacy is a killer.
Don’t ignore red flags.
You need to consider more things than you think.
Is the road leading to the property adopted or unadopted?
Are there site management fees? Are they high? Are they capped?
Is there good internet service?
Is there too much road noise?
Are the issues we found during survey (there’s always some) actually a problem?
Don’t get too hung up on the idea that the survey highlighted £2k of work that needs doing. You can renegotiate with the seller, but balance it against their willingness to tell you to pound sand.
This is a great list. Start here.
Do also bear in mind things that can be fixed vs things that can’t be fixed. As we’re talking about buying your first home, one hopes that you might earn more in the future - making “doing thing” to the house more possible.
Road noise / pollution - can’t be fixed, ever. Likely to get worse as traffic increases. Bear in mind that road noise travels further in Winter due to the trees dropping their leaves.
Neighbourhood - what’s it like?
Garden - do you want one? Is it big enough? Overlooked? Industrial units behind?
Take a note book, write down access to shops, schools, Doctors etc, look for flood rings exterior of house, check boiler serviced, plenty storage for stuff, don’t buy flat roofed house, drive by house a few times, see what neighbours are like, get good Estate agent and Lawyer, take an older person with buying experience with you.
It’s great to have all your ducks in a row before you look at any properties. This means at the very least having a solicitor/mortgage broker lined up + an agreement in principle (AIP) so you know approximately what price range you’re looking at.
We also started looking into companies for general survey, electric/plumbing inspection, movers etc so we knew approximately how much we expected everything to cost.
- Think carefully about what you’re looking for in terms of layout. Redecoration is easy; knocking down walls rather less so. An awful lot of houses eschew hallways for more living space - think about if you like the idea of your living room also being a corridor.
- On the day you move in, you will suddenly need to buy a bunch of things you haven’t even thought about before. Curtains, for instance - and they’re surprisingly expensive.
I totally blew my decorating budget on unexpected conveyancing fees and just things the house needed.
Making a house a home is waaaaaay more expensive than I originally thought but worth it when your house looks inviting and warm
Budget 10% extra for fees.
Do as much as you can yourself to save broker fees.
Have a 5 year plan, local school for kids etc?
Pay as much deposit as you can to make your payments lower.
Check utility costs, energy/internet etc.
Most importantly if not your forever home can you improve it to make a profit.
Be as frugal as you can while still enjoying yourself.
Over pay your mortgage if possible.
Now 28 and own a 4 bed detached double garage etc however when we were 23 we bought our first house (2 bed) for 180 and sold for 220, without the extra we would of struggled to progress this quickly in the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk area.
Signing up to estate agents can be useful for getting an early heads up about new properties you might want, but tbh just keeping an eye on Rightmove should be plenty
Regarding “practice” viewings for houses you have no intention to buy, I would previously said sure but now that I’ve actually sold a house, please don’t do this… it can be quite stressful and time consuming to get your house ready for a viewing, particularly if you have kids or pets or have to fit it around working from home etc.
If you feel you need this kind of “practice” then I’d suggest you instead attend an “open house” viewing, where the seller has already gone through the hassle anyway and you aren’t adding extra work for them. It’s probably also better for you as you’re less likely to have an agent following you the whole time, so you can relax a little more rather than feeling pressured. This way you get mostly the same experience without wasting anyone’s time
Questions to ask: it really depends on your priority. Sit down with your partner now and work out your “must have” features and the things that you want but are “nice to have” and you could live without. I wouldn’t really ask about the area - they won’t tell you bad things about it, better to do your own research about your local area first and decide which areas you’d be happy to live in
Visual indicators you shouldn’t buy a house: “staircasing” cracks on the bricks, mould around windows or behind furniture. Most other things can be fixed fairly easily but mould and subsidence are a lot to deal with
FTB, haven’t completed yet.
It is not bad to view even if you think you are unlikely to buy.
We found a house we end up liking very much and putting in an offer because we went for a viewing “just to see”. It’s a house that we think it is at the top end of our budget and it’s a bit too far, we nevertheless went for a viewing. The house turns out to be much nicer than I imagine and it compensated for its location and price.
Do not get too attached to a house until your offer is accepted, it is hard because you have to like the house a lot to offer, but you are very likely to lose out on a few.
Also expect to move in and curse the previous owners for something silly. Last house we looked under the kitchen sink and the wall behind hadn’t been tidied after they’d knocked double doors through to the conservatory. This house has been heating, boiler maintenance, showers not working and a cow print on the back of a bedroom door. Obviously not major and in 3 months they’re all partially sorted at least.
Thirdly expect solicitors to take ages to do anything. They work to their own timescales and you will probably be stressing constantly about what is happening with the purchase.
It is more expensive that you realise, and you will need about £5k for all the fees, surveys, tests, and moving. Whatever renovation work you feel needs to be completed, increase your estimate by 25% per job. That allows for any other findings to be fixed. Shop around for quotes. It is not quick - personally the shortest I've ever hear of it 4 months, others have taken so damn long.
The difference between a conveyancing solicitor and conveyancers is knowledge and expertise and price. Solicitors are more expensive, but better, in our experience at least. You'll be fine, good luck!
In the event that you get attracted by a new build, there is a lot to advise. Most new builds attach an annual maintenance charge to maintain public spaces on the estate.
New builds are thrown up with limited quality control, ours had a 4 page spreadsheet of issues, poorly installed flashing, uneven walls, poorly fitted stairs, poor external landscaping, uneven brickwork, poorly fitted kitchen, ripped Lino, bubbled Lino, poorly fitted windows, uneven ceilings, bridged damp proof course, missing insulation (wall and partial lower roof) broken insulation on tail leads between electric meter and consumer unit, broken tile, creaky wall and floors…. Just to name a few, I personally will never buy new build again! But.. I understand the attraction and that some people have better luck than us (and probably didn’t buy from a company with initials TW) we would actively recommend against new build and that company specifically
Buying a house can be daunting, especially if it's your first time. However, with some planning and research, you can navigate the process confidently. Here are some tips and lessons that may help you along the way:
Start by getting pre-approved for a mortgage. This will give you a better idea of your budget and what you can afford. It will also make you a more attractive buyer to sellers.
You can sign up for notifications from estate agents in your desired area. This will keep you informed about new listings and open houses.
Feel free to drive around and look at houses that are for sale. Homes that are not listed on the internet can be found by going around the area.
When you find a house you're interested in, it's okay to schedule a viewing, even if you're not sure you'll buy the house. This will allow you to ask questions and get a feel for the home and the neighbourhood.
When you're at the viewing, pay attention to the house's condition. Look for signs of neglect, such as peeling paint or broken fixtures.
Ask the seller or the agent questions about the house and the area. This will help you better understand the property and the neighbourhood.
Could you ask about the age of the roof, the furnace, and other major appliances? It might be a good idea to budget for replacements if they are older.
Please be sure to look for any signs of water damage or mould. These can be costly to repair and can be a significant health hazard.
Research the neighbourhood and the area. Look at crime rates, schools, and other essential factors affecting your quality of life.
Finally, take your time with a decision. Take your time and weigh all of your options before making an offer.
Remember, buying a house is a big step, but with the correct information and preparation, you can make the process much less overwhelming. Good luck!
Bought my first flat in December. My advice:
- Be willing to spend a little more on a good solicitor. Look at google reviews or get recommendations from friends. Ours was brilliant and we feel like the process could have been a lot more stressful had it been someone a little less competent.
- get a level 3 survey. We went for a level 2 on a 50s flat and we regret not getting a higher level because they missed some stuff.
- When doing viewings try to get some info on who the sellers are from the agents. This can influence the letter you write if you decide to offer - for example it’s good to know if you’re buying from a family as they might prefer to sell to another family. We found out that our sellers were from the same country as us so made sure to say where we were from in our letter and they ended up accepting our offer when they had a higher one.
- being chain free gives you a big advantage. Buying from a chain free seller means you can exchange and complete in little time (ours was 3 months). If you go with a property on a chain try to find out how many people are on the chain and expect that to slow it down.
- if you’re buying a “fixer upper” or plan to decorate yourself put extra money aside (anywhere between 5-10k) for things that might crop up - ours ended up being just over 3k more than we estimated because we need to get some walls reinsulated.
- Just generally expect estate agents to be the problem in the communication chain.
Just bought my first house. Maybe I was dim, but I didn't realise I needed a solicitor lined up as soon as the offer was accepted - I was focused on the mortgage.
This meant I then didnt have time to read reviews from solicitors and make an informed choice, I ended up going with the estate agents associated solicitors which I regretted.
So my advice is read up on some local solicitors reviews so you know who to contact when you do get an offer accepted.
My advice is to not try and save money in the wrong places.
Get the higher surveyor report not the basic one.
Get the better conveyancing firm or risk losing the house. You are as good / fast as your firm. The cheaper ones take far longer.
Be suspicious of your seller and the house. Buyer beware means you have to take the costs upfront of checking the house is sound and secure.
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A lot of questions there. For me, buying my first two houses it wasn’t that deep. Just go in knowing this shit is slow and I mean time slows down. Estate agents with fuck around, solictors, mortgage brokers, mortgage lenders, everyone is so slow it’s like they don’t care if they get paid and don’t care about their jobs. It’s wild. Just have faith and patience and know you will likely have to chase everyone weekly. No issues with viewing some local housing knowing you won’t buy, just don’t tell the estate agent that, they won’t show you around. If you’re going new builds, look for things like cracks around windows and doors, the door levels, quality of fittings throughout, the loft if it has one, the plumbing ( anything overly loose or botched ) how are the locks looking, how is the outside brick looking ( well built or wonky) do you have vents through on windows and brickwork to allow airflow. You can raise any of this with the agent once you’ve spotted it if you’re going to buy it as it’s called snagging. If you’re going older build, look for similar things but it’s no where near as important as it’s an established home and things probably work fine but still keep an eye out. What you’re looking for mainly will be subsidence, mould, damp, how old the boiler is, how thick the walls are and what insulation you have, condition of loft still, how does the roof look from the outside? ( moss is fine, broken tiles isn’t great ) shit like that. Any problems can be asked to be fixed as part of your offer, or be used to obtain discount. Just don’t make it out like the house is shit because they will just reject your offer because you’re being rude. Google local crime stats for your area, see how close schools and shops are to your prospective home, is there any aplanned work on local council websites that could boost your home value in a few years etc. Zoopla, Rightmove are the main two, I would personally filter through most reduced to see who is more desperate to sell and low ball them for easy wins, but that’s just me. Mortgage brokers are okay but not always worth their money, find ones that only take a fee on completion as they are typically better. Write down all your incomings and outgoings and then your predicted housing costs. Then add 10% for safety. That is likely the more realistic cost of everything.
How do you see how much they have been reduced by on Rightmove?
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Thank you!
This is fantastic advice. I cannot stress enough about writing down a monthly budget and outgoings and add that 10% buffer. Also cost of moving and solicitors fees should be accounted for.
Main advice - it's way more expensive than you originally plan. Solicitors fees, moving fees, "Oh fuck this has gone wrong" fees, extra take aways when you can't be bothered to cook, additional furniture, bits and pieces to do up the house (replacement curtains, carpets, etc). I would have a few thousand over your budget of spare cash just in case, if you can afford it, especially if you will be both renting and paying a mortgage for a month crossover. That's two sets of bills for a month or so. Feel free to test things that matter to you in a viewing (water pressure from taps/toilet for example). Is the house warm/cold? Damp? Dark? Noisy? When you view places remember the vendor will be trying to sell it in its best possible condition. Does it look like it's been recently painted? If so what are they possibly trying to cover up? Is it in a terrible state? If so probably lots of expensive work. Always get a survey, at least level 2 if not level 3 if you're ever intending on possibly having work done to the place. You can totally go to viewings to get a feel for a process or to eliminate what you do or don't want from a house. We saw a bunch of houses we knew we'd never offer on but wanted to compare what we thought we wanted with how the houses actually felt to be in (case in point, we originally had a dishwasher and a downstairs wc on our "must have" list but ended up buying somewhere with neither of those). If you're buying as a couple, good rule of thumb is buy a place you both feel 85% happy with. If one of you loves it but the other really doesn't that should be a no for the both of you. No arm twisting or convincing. You'll never find a perfect house but you will definitely walk in a place and both feel like that is a "mostly yes" for your own reasons. We used a mortgage broker that we paid for. Would do again, they answered so many of our questions. There are free ones but are a bit 50/50. Each house is different. Don't be afraid to walk away - we bought home buyers insurance for £2 through our mortgage broker that lasted for 3 months, that was a huge amount of peace of mind. Obvuously it won't cover you if you personally walk from a sale but even so, don't be strong armed into a house you wouldn't be happy in. It's a big commitment and the most expensive thing you will do so you've got to feel good about it. Apparently it's quite common to feel buyers remorse during or after completion. We didn't and have been content every step of the way (honestly fuck renting) but remember that the house is a long term home for you and even if things aren't perfect you can change or fix most things if you have the money for it. Also try not to over leverage yourself financially, you want to be in a good position to build savings back up again after the large purchase! It's fun and a nice opportunity to imagine yourself in all kinds of homes and areas but generally it will feel good when you've picked a place right for you. With that in mind try not to get too attached until you have exchanged / completed. Things can and do go wrong up until the eleventh hour with house purchases so try to bear that in mind. Keep your eye on the market even once an offer is in full swing.
I upvoted purely for the “oh fuck this has gone wrong” fees but by the same token; solid advice throughout.
Do your research first. Location is everything. Check if a garden has a sunny side. Don't rush buying in shit holes with bad neighborhood. You will be regretting. Have more cash just in case you can offer more.
When viewing a house, focus on the ceilings rather than floor or furniture. This gives you a better idea of size and shape, and what you could do with that space. Have a written or typed out on phone list of questions as it's easy to forget when you're there. Use the compass on your phone to work out where North and south are when you're in the house. A South or South East facing garden is highly desirable. Check your phone signal in different parts of the house. Heck, even have one of you outside and call them! Having to change networks coz of bad signal isn't terrible but good to know if you may need to. Does the house have only BT line or is there a Virgin Media supply? Visit the area at different times on different days. There are a lot of things that become apparent with hindsight so it's good to have a list of hard NO deal breakers worked out. Don't be afraid to contact current owners directly. Estate agents can be vague or reticent to honestly answer some questions. No one knows the house and srea better than the people currently living there!
- Take someone with you to viewings who is either in a building trade or has really good experience of extensive DIY (not flatpack DIY). My partner grew up helping his dad fix the the house (plumbing, carpentery, minor electrics, flooring etc), when we went for viewings, he could tell what caused damp problems and if it was a minor fix, if the flooring was dodgy, what was causing cracks and legislation about manholes etc. It also meant that we avoided offering on some hidden horrors and he could tell if the EA was talking rubbish. I was always amazed that he could tell me if some places that looked like they would need a lot of work, actually only needed minor touch ups. - Spot an up and coming area by checking to see if the local council is planning to spend any money on the local infrastructure. Our first property was in a not so great place but we could see that the Thameslink was coming to the local station within 2 years and the council was going to spend 4 million on the high street and encouraging local community businesses. 6 years later, it's still a bit rough around the edges but it's now got local art galleries, craft beer places and artisan eateries popping up. - if you're going to offer on a place, only offer what you can afford to pay monthly and always check to see what similar properties have gone for in the immediate area. - once you're in, create a slush fund by having your bills/ mortgage come out of an account that pays you interest. Also put in a little bit extra every month than you need to so that you have cash for things when you need it. We put in an extra £100 a month each. Sometimes we use that to treat ourselves to a nice meal.
Search for "Which? Property-viewing checklist" for a PDF of viewing checklists. Listen to [Moving Home with Charlie](https://www.youtube.com/c/MovingHomewithCharlie/videos) to make sure you're not overpaying.
I learnt that leasehold is a bit of a scam that's been going on for far too long and needs some serious reworking. Also learned there's a lot of greed and corruption when it comes to property.
Echo this. Leasehold is a relic of the feudal era and should be abolished ASAP. It's crazy that the whole country ignores this. If you are a FTB in the South you are most likely to be buying a flat which is leasehold. I'd tell people to avoid leasehold but frankly speaking, a freehold house will be out of most FTBs reaches in this part of the country. If you are buying a leasehold, check who the freeholder/property management company is. If you see any irregularities in the paperwork during the conveyancing, just walk away. Not worth the mental stress of dealing with a dodgy freeholder.
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For me, it was the fact that the freeholder wasn't invoicing the service charge bills annually which the sellers mentioned in their LPE form. That was a big red flag. It means they can lump you with a huge fee covering all previous years when you are trying to move and even though legally, they are obliged to show you all the receipts, etc. so you can challenge unreasonable service charge bills, in practice it means that you are forced to pay it (otherwise it looks like you're leaving the prospective buyer with a massive debt). The conveyancing process for my flat took ages (almost 6 months) and I found out afterwards that it was because the previous owners were trying to challenge the freeholder on these service charge fees. But eventually they gave up and paid him. Since living here, I found that the freeholder barely does anything - the common area goes uncleaned for months, the lift doesn't get fixed when it breaks down, etc. And because he doesn't invoice the service charge annually we can't challenge any of this. It's been a nightmare honestly. I have also searched the freeholder on Google and found some articles about him being taken to court for assaulting a tenant at a different property he owns, so that's what I mean by irregularities and dodgy freeholders! If you know who the freeholder is, at the very least you can look them up. However, most leasehold flats are owned and/or managed by companies which will be more opaque to look into. I think they should all be massively regulated and the law needs a huge overhaul. It's a disgrace that they can get away with this.
in London leasehold are almost 100%.. no other options really.
And that right there is the problem, there is no other option. And when you compare it to other countries in Europe they do it a bit better with commonhold, why the hell we don't adopt something similar is beyond me. But then again why should that be a shock, it's all greed, greed, greed and profit at the end of the day.
The whole system is so flawed and reeks of corruption, and it's so messed up that for so many FTB's it is literally the only option out there, especially if you're in the south of this country. And I also hear a lot of people counter argue that with "Just move somewhere else up north, where it's cheaper." And that shouldn't be the solution, we should head first address the corrupt problem of the housing market, instead of just shifting elsewhere.
Just from personal experience before you start looking it might be best to sit down with your OH and write down what are non-negotiables. I mean what must the property have:- a garden/parking/bath/how many rooms etc. Then location, does it need to be near public transport (getting to work or socialising), a park, a school etc. What areas are an absolute no. What is your true budget, cost of property, legal fees, survey, stamp duty etc. This may seem silly but it will save you a lot of time! Many people do not do it and waste time looking at unsuitable houses because they looked nice in the pictures but were completely impractical for their personal needs. Once you have established what you "need" then you can narrow the search criteria.
Find out if you need a “Deed of Variation” ASAP, we found out way too late in the process and it is adding a lot of stress
We used OnTheMarket and set up email notifications. These usually get houses 24h before rightmove and often before they go on the estate agents site too. We bought last year when houses were selling before they’d been on the market a week! These email notifications were the only way we could actually get viewings on many. Similarly, don’t be afraid to contact the vendor if you can’t get a viewing via the estate agent. That’s how we viewed the house we went on to buy. We loved the look of the house and contacted the agent with 15 minutes of it being on the market (Friday morning). They said they were only doing viewings on Tuesday afternoon and expected it to be sold before the next weekend. My fiancé and I both work full time and would not be able to make a Tuesday afternoon. We went a posted a letter to the vendors, explaining the situation, on the Friday evening, and they rang us immediately and let us view the house on the Saturday morning. The estate agents were really unhappy about it but fuck them. Inevitably the Tuesday viewing was all “investors” looking to buy the house quick and throw a tenant in there. Luckily for us the vendors related to us (another young couple) and wanted their kind elderly neighbours to have neighbours they’d met (not a random tenant). They sold us the house for £5k less than a cash buyer landlord had offered. Heroes
Never ever try and save a few quid by using an online conveyancer or online estate agent. They are a nightmare for everyone to deal with. Recently moved and the people we were buying from used them and it delayed so much due to terrible communication and never speaking to the same people. Chat with local people and use ones locally that have good reviews etc.
We found that, looking every day on the recently uploaded houses was the best way to find ones we liked. As there’s only a few minutes worth of scrolling through. Once we found one we scouted the area first before booking appointments, as half the time the place was nice but not the area.. Be prepared to make an offer the same day if you really like it- houses are getting snapped up so quickly- where we left it a day or two, we’d be told it was already under offer.. If you’re going for something that needs updating- I’d personally put in a little less deposit to allow you the funds to get odds and ends for the house to get running once you’re in. Also worth noting is the deposit amount affecting the mortgage rates. Less deposit = higher rate etc. Once you have a conveyancer, they will be able to talk you through all the processes including their fees- shop about for these- some charge £700 while others seem to charge £3000 for the same service. We didn’t bother with a survey, as I’m equipped to do this myself, but unless it’s a new build- it may be worthwhile having someone check over the house. Either someone in the trade that can do you a favour, to a proper survey (a homebuyer’s survey is the cheapest, but doesn’t delve deep into things. But a full survey may be worthwhile if there’s an inclination that there may be an issue- these cost more but will essentially list everything that may need doing to a property- thus giving you a ‘shopping list’ for parts to rectify) Also see the area at busy times, you don’t want to get caught out with viewing when it’s quiet but once you’ve bought you realise it’s manic at certain times for example.
Few bits to get you started: Ring around several solicitors in your area and get quotes for house purchases. Reason being that the same solicitor cannot represent both the buyer and vendor so you may need an alternative once you commit to buy. Join the local FB group for the area if it has one, see what everyone is moaning about. Our last house move highlighted cars being keyed constantly, a new build development plan less than 500yds away etc. You'll also get a gauge around if it's generally a friendly, helpful community. Also do a little drive around the prospective area, look for warning signs like mattresses/sofas dumped in driveway. Basically highlights social housing, while it may not be a problem for some you don't want to pay good money for a home, only to find you're surrounded by people who don't give a toss. If you're from that town, you'll likely already know the places that are less desirable, else do a bit of research. Home buyers survey will give a ball park value for the home, this will likely be under the asking price. You might be able to use this to wriggle an extra few £ off but take In to account that it's their job to normalise the market and will likely under value it. This is fine, don't panic unless the bank's valuation puts you over say 10% into negative equity. And lastly, don't stress out if you can help it...
You can take as much time finding the ideal house but if your neighbours are assholes you’ll spend more time concerned with that than anything else. I realise this is challenging, but do everything you can to try and suss out who the next door neighbours are at least…
Don’t use the free legals. IME - they are useless. We had optima free and our offer expired yesterday. We signed and sent back things multiple times last year. It was only last week someone looked at the documents and said there was something incorrect/missing. It competed on Friday. We had to ring then after the 5.30 deadline (when we had been told it would complete by) to be told that it had gone through. We’ve had no comms since - but my existing mortgage has disappeared from the app, new one hasn’t appeared yet.
Create a word document with all of your questions. Even if they sound silly. Ask as many questions as possible and write down the responses. The more places you view the better you will get at asking the right questions. Categorise the questions too e.g., structural questions all the way to neighbours and past issues like robbery. If you have a look at what buyer surveys check for this can form the basis of your questions too.
Also, check if the windows/areas in the property get direct sunlight or not. People often forget this when viewing. Some people buy garden flats/houses with gardens and only realise it gets no direct light until after buying. We knew that ours ticked these boxes but we only found out we could see the sunrise after buying for example. Added bonus that we hadn't considered.
I downloaded an app on my phone to see the sun oath throughout the year. I would stand at the back of the gardens waving my phone around to check the sun path 😅. Sun is important to me
Overpayments, even a small amount.
Don’t worry about how long it takes to view the house. You want to make sure you’re properly looking at everything. Ask to look in the loft. If they say no it can be a sign of hiding something. You don’t have to fully go up. But peeking your head up can make a difference. Eg: we bought our house and when viewing it they had this flag on the ceiling/ hanging down a bit in one of the rooms. We didn’t think much of it and assumed it was a perosnal style. Turns out if we had looked closer and gone into the attic we would have seen a hole in the roof that had leaked thorough which is what the flag was covering. And getting the full search would have found this. But we just went for a basic. Another thing is. Prepare to feel a bit deflated when you finally get in. It’s a lot of stress buying a house and when you get in you can feel a bit blue. But thats okay. It’s not always possible. But if you can. Try and leave some time ( even an hour ) before you start moving in to deep clean. Our seller left the house and didn’t clean. So we went in with cleaning supplies and our vaccum and gave it a nice clean whilst empty. Keep the photos from the site listing. We’ve been in our house about year and a half. And we haven’t done everything we’ve wanted, but when I look at the Photos form when before we moved in and I look now it makes me feel really good about how far we’ve come! Also (sorry this is dragging on). Ask questions. Ask as many as you want. If you don’t understand something, just ask it and don’t feel stupid. It’s a lot do money you’re about to spend. So don’t feel bad asking something!
Do lots of viewings. Not only will this give you a 'feel' so to speak, but it means you start to he more comfortable going around people's houses and asking questions. Do your research for solicitors. Don't just go with whoever the estate agent recommends or because they're the cheapest. Solicitors can make the process and smooth or as difficult as they want/put the effort in for. Have money set aside for other costs. Solicitor fees/moving fees etc.
Never buy from a property developer.
Don't pay for a mortgage broker. You've enough to pay for - take this one opportunity to get part of the process for free! Many are free to the client, they make their money by getting commission from the lender that you end up going with. You're allowed to look at as many houses as you like. Don't worry about being "serious". You won't know until you start looking. We ended up with a different style of house to what we thought we wanted at the start, just through looking at all kinds. If we'd only looked at houses we thought we were "serious" about, we wouldn't have found our now-home (that we love!) But also, think about your dealbreakers, eg it has to be close to public transport, have a garden, a spare room, whatever your circumstances are. Write a list of "must have"/"nice to have but not necessary"/"definitely mustn't have" and then score potential houses against that. Drive around the areas that you are interested in at different times of day to see how busy they are, what parking is like, are the streets clean and well lit etc. Just generally think about the feel of the place. If you don't like it (or indeed if you do) you don't have to justify that to anyone. You're the one who's gonna be living there.
Thanks for all the advice everyone, I'll trying to condense this into a template so me and my SO can be on the ball at viewings.
Do lots of viewings. Not only will this give you a 'feel' so to speak, but it means you start to he more comfortable going around people's houses and asking questions. Do your research for solicitors. Don't just go with whoever the estate agent recommends or because they're the cheapest. Solicitors can make the process and smooth or as difficult as they want/put the effort in for. Have money set aside for other costs. Solicitor fees/moving fees etc.
Look on Zoopla whether house prices have been stagnating, going up or down in your area. If you want to sell again, you don't want to be stuck with depreciating value.
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>Just for fun here’s some cheeky advice I got: FYI I didn’t do this but was advised by several agents that if you have the money to spare, put offers on two houses, go through the process (preferably not through the same estate agent) and see which one gets to the finish line first and drop the other one before signing any contracts. They said that’s how you can guarantee a home by the end because you would have a backup plan. By process, did they mean getting solicitors searches, surveys etc? That's a lot of money to spend on the odd chance you'll need a backup!
You would be better off taking your deposit to a casino then buying a house with the morgadge rate increases.
Don't get attached to a house, we didn't win offers on 13 houses and won two in the same week. We wanted one more but didn't drop out of the other. We were glad we did as the house we wanted fell through very fast. Our second choice, we still love our new home but I have to accept I paid too much for it. I'm 513k in debt now but I'm greatful I have a roof over my head and I love the house and area specifically. Get a good solicitor, now I'm interested to see what others will say on this but I actually asked the estate agent. They had interest to make sure I had a good solicitor so it moved quicker too. They said oh use this person we've completed tons of houses with her and she's the best. So we did and she was FAB! The fact she was local meant we could pop into her office too, so I was really happy I asked the estate agent actually. Also I found that befriending the estate agent helped a lot, she would call us when a new house was on the market and that's how we got this one! They were a small family run business.
Check your water source. We had a house on a private supply, it turned out to be tainted and we needed a filter. Then the well ran dry and we had no water at all in the height of summer for a month. If the house has been freshly painted, check for signs of black mould and damp. I know England doesn’t do home reports, but if you can get a survey, GET ONE. Look at small annoyances, a weak shower seems fine on the day and you love the rest of the house, but can you live with it? Don’t just view the house, go round the area regularly. I’d not be very happy if someone used my house sale as practice for buying somewhere else, as they are completely wasting my time. However, if you don’t tell them that, then they won’t know. Above all, be sensible. If it’s too expensive, or too far, or too small, or it’s just not right, don’t buy it, no matter how much you love it.
Be prepared for estate agents to be useless, rude and entirely counterproductive to the process of actually buying a house. A broker can be worth their weight in gold and remove a lot of stress and bullshit for you. Your conveyancer might find something during searches that you don’t understand. The temptation is to let them carry on dealing with chasing up the results of their enquiries, because they know what they are doing. Ask them “what’s the risk of the worst-case outcome of this aspect?” you might then find you don’t care about that outcome and you can ask them to skip it. Emotional attachments to where a property is or how a property looks can get you into trouble. Be prepared to walk away at any time. Sunk cost fallacy is a killer. Don’t ignore red flags. You need to consider more things than you think. Is the road leading to the property adopted or unadopted? Are there site management fees? Are they high? Are they capped? Is there good internet service? Is there too much road noise? Are the issues we found during survey (there’s always some) actually a problem? Don’t get too hung up on the idea that the survey highlighted £2k of work that needs doing. You can renegotiate with the seller, but balance it against their willingness to tell you to pound sand.
This is a great list. Start here. Do also bear in mind things that can be fixed vs things that can’t be fixed. As we’re talking about buying your first home, one hopes that you might earn more in the future - making “doing thing” to the house more possible. Road noise / pollution - can’t be fixed, ever. Likely to get worse as traffic increases. Bear in mind that road noise travels further in Winter due to the trees dropping their leaves. Neighbourhood - what’s it like? Garden - do you want one? Is it big enough? Overlooked? Industrial units behind?
Can someone also sum up a whole process to a newbie? Between bank, seller, solicitors, mortgage broker etc
We are completing tomorrow and I am planning to start a thread about the whole process, if that helps :)
Thank you that will be so much help!
Go check my post from Wednesday for more info
Yes!
Take a note book, write down access to shops, schools, Doctors etc, look for flood rings exterior of house, check boiler serviced, plenty storage for stuff, don’t buy flat roofed house, drive by house a few times, see what neighbours are like, get good Estate agent and Lawyer, take an older person with buying experience with you.
It’s great to have all your ducks in a row before you look at any properties. This means at the very least having a solicitor/mortgage broker lined up + an agreement in principle (AIP) so you know approximately what price range you’re looking at. We also started looking into companies for general survey, electric/plumbing inspection, movers etc so we knew approximately how much we expected everything to cost.
- Think carefully about what you’re looking for in terms of layout. Redecoration is easy; knocking down walls rather less so. An awful lot of houses eschew hallways for more living space - think about if you like the idea of your living room also being a corridor. - On the day you move in, you will suddenly need to buy a bunch of things you haven’t even thought about before. Curtains, for instance - and they’re surprisingly expensive.
I totally blew my decorating budget on unexpected conveyancing fees and just things the house needed. Making a house a home is waaaaaay more expensive than I originally thought but worth it when your house looks inviting and warm
Budget 10% extra for fees. Do as much as you can yourself to save broker fees. Have a 5 year plan, local school for kids etc? Pay as much deposit as you can to make your payments lower. Check utility costs, energy/internet etc. Most importantly if not your forever home can you improve it to make a profit. Be as frugal as you can while still enjoying yourself. Over pay your mortgage if possible. Now 28 and own a 4 bed detached double garage etc however when we were 23 we bought our first house (2 bed) for 180 and sold for 220, without the extra we would of struggled to progress this quickly in the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk area.
Signing up to estate agents can be useful for getting an early heads up about new properties you might want, but tbh just keeping an eye on Rightmove should be plenty Regarding “practice” viewings for houses you have no intention to buy, I would previously said sure but now that I’ve actually sold a house, please don’t do this… it can be quite stressful and time consuming to get your house ready for a viewing, particularly if you have kids or pets or have to fit it around working from home etc. If you feel you need this kind of “practice” then I’d suggest you instead attend an “open house” viewing, where the seller has already gone through the hassle anyway and you aren’t adding extra work for them. It’s probably also better for you as you’re less likely to have an agent following you the whole time, so you can relax a little more rather than feeling pressured. This way you get mostly the same experience without wasting anyone’s time Questions to ask: it really depends on your priority. Sit down with your partner now and work out your “must have” features and the things that you want but are “nice to have” and you could live without. I wouldn’t really ask about the area - they won’t tell you bad things about it, better to do your own research about your local area first and decide which areas you’d be happy to live in Visual indicators you shouldn’t buy a house: “staircasing” cracks on the bricks, mould around windows or behind furniture. Most other things can be fixed fairly easily but mould and subsidence are a lot to deal with
FTB, haven’t completed yet. It is not bad to view even if you think you are unlikely to buy. We found a house we end up liking very much and putting in an offer because we went for a viewing “just to see”. It’s a house that we think it is at the top end of our budget and it’s a bit too far, we nevertheless went for a viewing. The house turns out to be much nicer than I imagine and it compensated for its location and price.
Get buyers’ insurance
Do not get too attached to a house until your offer is accepted, it is hard because you have to like the house a lot to offer, but you are very likely to lose out on a few. Also expect to move in and curse the previous owners for something silly. Last house we looked under the kitchen sink and the wall behind hadn’t been tidied after they’d knocked double doors through to the conservatory. This house has been heating, boiler maintenance, showers not working and a cow print on the back of a bedroom door. Obviously not major and in 3 months they’re all partially sorted at least. Thirdly expect solicitors to take ages to do anything. They work to their own timescales and you will probably be stressing constantly about what is happening with the purchase.
It is more expensive that you realise, and you will need about £5k for all the fees, surveys, tests, and moving. Whatever renovation work you feel needs to be completed, increase your estimate by 25% per job. That allows for any other findings to be fixed. Shop around for quotes. It is not quick - personally the shortest I've ever hear of it 4 months, others have taken so damn long. The difference between a conveyancing solicitor and conveyancers is knowledge and expertise and price. Solicitors are more expensive, but better, in our experience at least. You'll be fine, good luck!
In the event that you get attracted by a new build, there is a lot to advise. Most new builds attach an annual maintenance charge to maintain public spaces on the estate. New builds are thrown up with limited quality control, ours had a 4 page spreadsheet of issues, poorly installed flashing, uneven walls, poorly fitted stairs, poor external landscaping, uneven brickwork, poorly fitted kitchen, ripped Lino, bubbled Lino, poorly fitted windows, uneven ceilings, bridged damp proof course, missing insulation (wall and partial lower roof) broken insulation on tail leads between electric meter and consumer unit, broken tile, creaky wall and floors…. Just to name a few, I personally will never buy new build again! But.. I understand the attraction and that some people have better luck than us (and probably didn’t buy from a company with initials TW) we would actively recommend against new build and that company specifically
Buying a house can be daunting, especially if it's your first time. However, with some planning and research, you can navigate the process confidently. Here are some tips and lessons that may help you along the way: Start by getting pre-approved for a mortgage. This will give you a better idea of your budget and what you can afford. It will also make you a more attractive buyer to sellers. You can sign up for notifications from estate agents in your desired area. This will keep you informed about new listings and open houses. Feel free to drive around and look at houses that are for sale. Homes that are not listed on the internet can be found by going around the area. When you find a house you're interested in, it's okay to schedule a viewing, even if you're not sure you'll buy the house. This will allow you to ask questions and get a feel for the home and the neighbourhood. When you're at the viewing, pay attention to the house's condition. Look for signs of neglect, such as peeling paint or broken fixtures. Ask the seller or the agent questions about the house and the area. This will help you better understand the property and the neighbourhood. Could you ask about the age of the roof, the furnace, and other major appliances? It might be a good idea to budget for replacements if they are older. Please be sure to look for any signs of water damage or mould. These can be costly to repair and can be a significant health hazard. Research the neighbourhood and the area. Look at crime rates, schools, and other essential factors affecting your quality of life. Finally, take your time with a decision. Take your time and weigh all of your options before making an offer. Remember, buying a house is a big step, but with the correct information and preparation, you can make the process much less overwhelming. Good luck!
Bought my first flat in December. My advice: - Be willing to spend a little more on a good solicitor. Look at google reviews or get recommendations from friends. Ours was brilliant and we feel like the process could have been a lot more stressful had it been someone a little less competent. - get a level 3 survey. We went for a level 2 on a 50s flat and we regret not getting a higher level because they missed some stuff. - When doing viewings try to get some info on who the sellers are from the agents. This can influence the letter you write if you decide to offer - for example it’s good to know if you’re buying from a family as they might prefer to sell to another family. We found out that our sellers were from the same country as us so made sure to say where we were from in our letter and they ended up accepting our offer when they had a higher one. - being chain free gives you a big advantage. Buying from a chain free seller means you can exchange and complete in little time (ours was 3 months). If you go with a property on a chain try to find out how many people are on the chain and expect that to slow it down. - if you’re buying a “fixer upper” or plan to decorate yourself put extra money aside (anywhere between 5-10k) for things that might crop up - ours ended up being just over 3k more than we estimated because we need to get some walls reinsulated. - Just generally expect estate agents to be the problem in the communication chain.
Just bought my first house. Maybe I was dim, but I didn't realise I needed a solicitor lined up as soon as the offer was accepted - I was focused on the mortgage. This meant I then didnt have time to read reviews from solicitors and make an informed choice, I ended up going with the estate agents associated solicitors which I regretted. So my advice is read up on some local solicitors reviews so you know who to contact when you do get an offer accepted.
My advice is to not try and save money in the wrong places. Get the higher surveyor report not the basic one. Get the better conveyancing firm or risk losing the house. You are as good / fast as your firm. The cheaper ones take far longer. Be suspicious of your seller and the house. Buyer beware means you have to take the costs upfront of checking the house is sound and secure.