I can’t believe it was two years
ago since I purchased my house and yet it is still brick’s and dust.
Renovations are excitingly starting and progressing, and I cannot wait to share
my projects with you.
However, I felt that there
wasn’t much information on what I need to know or wished I had known when I was
looking and buying. So, I thought I would share some useful tips and pointers, to
help someone else out. This is primarily focused on a fixed mortgage, not buy
and let.
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Bit of an obvious
one when buying your first home but save, save and save some more. You will
need at least 10% of the asking price of your chosen property if you are
applying for a mortgage.
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Establish what you
can afford, you might have to be realistic instead of just focusing your search
on luxury apartments in Kensington.
·
Start looking at
what you can borrow, without applying. Do not apply for mortgages and then
cancel, as this will frustratingly mess your credit rating up.
·
The fun bit
(although I found this the reality shock at just how expensive property really
is and that 6-bed cottage with a moat wasn’t happening) looking for properties
to visit. Online and estate agents are good – costly through an estate agent
though. I found my little cottage in the local paper, having just driven by
months before saying how sweet it was.
·
Book multiple
viewings. Even though I was ready to say yes, I will buy it in five minutes of
being in my hobbit hole - look at it over and over again. Different times of
day can also highlight areas or show things you did not see before.
·
Take people who have
experience in purchasing property with you, for overall opinions and advice.
·
View more than one
property, do not just go for the first thing you fall in love with.
·
I was fortunate to
view a lot of great houses, but at the time I really couldn’t visualise what
they would look like. As my mum would say always try and look past what you see
and imagine what it could look like with some TLC.
·
When you finally
agree on a home and want to put that offer in, offer lower than the original
asking price. Be the haggler.
·
Get a solicitor! This
is a huge life decision, you do not want anything going wrong.
·
Have a surveyor come
and check your property. You don’t want to be sold something that is dangerous
or could fall. I had a surveyor come and condemn mine before our offer went
officially through. I was heartbroken, so I got a second surveyor to come and
inspect it and thankfully it did.
·
When it goes
through, pop the champagne but you aren’t there yet!
·
See anything you
like in the house? Do not presume its yours, speak to the seller and ask if it
is included the in price or if they are willing to part with it for money. Even
appliances – I presumed the cooker was included but it wasn’t. However, I
struck lucky and I got it for free anyway.
·
Mortgages take a
while to go through, make sure you have this set-in place as soon as you are
accepted. Shop around for good deals without signing up for anything.
·
Be patient with the
whole process, honestly as much as it is exciting it is really, stressful.
Until you get those keys anything can happen, so be prepared. I lost my house
three times but, in the end, it was fate.
·
All being well, and
all parties have completed their parts, you have all administrative sides in
the place, the process should be complete.
·
Get your keys and
crack open the bubbly!
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If you need or
require any further help, pleas
