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The House Hop Guide to Buying
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Click here for free conveyancing quotes
*£850 is the average saving on a typical sale and purchase through our panel of conveyancing solicitors compared to using a high street solicitor (Survey of 52 high street solicitors, September 2010).
Viewings
Most buyers make their decision on a property within a matter of minutes.
Before committing, however, you should be aware of the types of tricks a seller will use to get you to fall in love with their house.
Knowing what to expect allows you take a more objective view, which will almost certainly save you money and may get you a bargain that you would otherwise have overlooked.
After all, there's plenty of time for falling in love with your new home once you've negotiated the deal! Sellers' tricks
A smart seller will have gone to considerable trouble to prepare their home for sale.A well prepared home not only sells faster it sells for more money. For detailed information on what a well prepared home should look like see our separate guide "Guide to Home Staging".
Get yourself familiar with the changes that sellers are likely to make when preparing to sell. Many are just cosmetic, yet they can raise the price of a property significantly.
Try to see the bigger picture when viewing a property. Is it big enough? Does it have the garden you want? Is it in a nice neighbourhood? What about the local schools and other amenities? These are the things you can’t change.
Remember — carpets, wallpaper, colour schemes, bathrooms and kitchens can all be changed, especially if you get a good deal and have money left over.
Remember — carpets, wallpaper, colour schemes, bathrooms and kitchens can all be changed, especially if you get a good deal and have money left over.
Valuation
Valuation is not only a job for sellers. Once you have a clear idea of what you are looking for you, as a buyer, need to do your research too.
It's very simple — unless you know what something is worth you have no way of knowing whether or not you are getting it at a good price.
Valuing property has never been easier — especially with the tools now available online — and it doesn't take long. For detailed guidance on how to value a property see our separate "Guide to Selling".
Unfortunately, while you may be able to keep a sense of perspective on what a house is truly worth, other buyers may not and you are competing with them. However, if you've done your homework you should know whether the price you need to bid is worth paying.Valuing property has never been easier — especially with the tools now available online — and it doesn't take long. For detailed guidance on how to value a property see our separate "Guide to Selling".
Getting a bargain
It's difficult to get a bargain if the house you want is immaculately presented. On the other hand, a poorly presented house gives you the opportunity to see what most people will miss — this is your chance to pick up a bargain.
The most important thing is to use your imagination. Look past the horrible carpets, the faded curtains and the bedroom full of junk and imagine how the house would look when you've finished it.Again, review the information in our "Home Staging" guide. This will help you to picture things that others won't. Instead, most people allow poor presentation to put them off at which point they stop using their imaginations because their decision is made.
What sellers don't have to tell you
You might be surprised to hear that neither sellers, nor their agents, are obliged to tell you about problems that a property may have.
This is why it's so important to get a survey done. And to ask questions — you see, although they don't have to volunteer information, they're not allowed to lie.
An estate agent making a false or misleading statement would be in breach of the Property Misdescriptions Act, while a seller would be guilty of misrepresentation. Asking questions, therefore, is an important part of your due diligence.This is why it's so important to get a survey done. And to ask questions — you see, although they don't have to volunteer information, they're not allowed to lie.
Questions to ask
Two of the keys to making a good purchase are, 1) get a survey done, and 2) make sure you know what the property is worth. But, what else do you need to know?Here is a list of questions to ask to make sure you don't get caught out:
- what are the neighbours like? Are they friendly and helpful or noisy and rude? This question is especially important if you will be sharing a wall with them or if you are viewing a flat
- have they ever had any disputes with their neighbours (eg, over boundaries, hedges, trees)?
- what's the traffic like? Is the street part of the morning school run or a cut through for rush hour traffic?
- is it easy for visitors to park?
- will there be lots of screaming children playing outside?
- what local amenities are there?
- how much is the council tax?
- how much are the utility bills?
- how frequent are collections for rubbish and recycling?
Take notes
If you're viewing a lot of properties you'll probably find that after a while they tend to run together in your mind.For this reason, it's a good idea to keep notes. We've prepared a Buyer's Checklist that you can print out and fill in to make this easier.
You may not want to fill it in as you look around as this may make it harder to build rapport with the seller, plus you may miss things. Make sure, however, that you fill it in soon after viewing otherwise you'll forget things and it won't be much use.
You might also consider bringing with you a camera or video camera. Obviously you will need to get permission before using one, but if the seller is happy then it can provide you with a very useful record.
