Guildford Living Dec - Jan 2020 10.29.04

THE HOMEBUYER'S GUIDE
Thinking about moving or buying your first home? Read on...
If you are beginning the process of buying
your first home, selling to buy a bigger
property or even downsizing once the
kids have flown the nest, you may find
that the property market is an unknown
entity, full of potential pitfalls, doubts
and unexpected costs. Couple that with
the looming uncertainty of BREXIT, and
you have a complicated set of hoops to
jump through. In this guide, we aim to
demystify homebuying and give useful
advice for each stage of the process.
FIRST-TIME BUYERS
So, you’re about to make the biggest
investment of your life so far. Scary,
right? There’s a lot to think about,
and a lot of costs you will not have
even considered until the process has
started. Your mortgage is the first thing
you should think about, because until
you have your Decision in Principle,
you will not know what you can afford
to buy. By going to an independent
mortgage advisor, you will have the
choice of many different banks and
building societies, so you can assess
options like the term of your mortgage,
fixing interest rates and any cash back
offered.
Viewing Houses
This is probably the most fun bit of
the process, because you get to know
your tastes and can have a look around
some lovely properties in the process.
Rightmove is a great resource, as is
Zoopla for comparing prices in an area.
As well as relying on these sites, it is
vital that you make yourself known to
lots of different local agents. Let them
know in as much detail as possible what
requirements you have (location, number
of bedrooms, garden, garage etc) and
your upper price limit. A good agent will
let you know about properties about to
come to the market, helping you get a
head start on other buyers.
Viewing Tip - When viewing houses,
try to take some pictures (with the estate
agent’s permission) on your phone as
an aide memoir and if you have furniture
from renting to fit in, take a tape measure
and see if it would fit in the space.
CONVEYANCING
So, once you’ve found the property you
want, you will need to instruct a solicitor
to do the conveyancing for you. Before
deciding on one, we recommend emailing
or calling around for some quotes to
make sure you get a competitive rate.
CHARTERED SURVEY
Unless the property you are buying is
less than 10 years old, it really does
make good sense to have a survey. Most
surveyors offer a choice between a RICS
Homebuyer Report or a Building Survey.
Send over the property details you have
and they will help you decide on the best
survey for peace of mind. Once again, it
does pay to enquire with a few different
firms to keep prices competitive and
to find the right surveyor for the type of
property you buy.
Surveying Tip - If you are buying a
flat, it can be difficult to know whether
you need to have a full building survey
(formerly called a structural survey). If
you are buying a flat in a listed or older
building, talk to your surveyor about
whether they can offer a special package
for you.
SELLING
Over the past few years, the property
landscape really has become a seller’s
market. With a high demand for property,
estate agents are having to be creative
in the way they compete for instructions.
This is great news if you are selling, as
you can ask them to be competitive in the
rates they offer.
Surveying Tips - It is likely that you
will need to provide certificates or
documentation of any major work you
have had done on your home in the last
10 years, primarily electrics. De-clutter
before the estate agent comes to take
photos. Your home needs to be a blank
canvas, so the potential buyer can
imagine their possessions there, without
yours dominating their vision.
MOVING
So, you’ve accumulated quite a lot of
stuff eh? Here are our top tips to make
moving easier:
• Start packing the areas of your home that
you use the least. Pack essentials last.
• At least 8 weeks before the date, notify
change of address for any subscriptions.
• Pack early if you are using the services
of a moving company. Also be sure
to label clearly and keep heavy boxes
double taped so they don’t collapse.
• Bin anything you don’t love anymore.
Start this process early, using a skip
for unsellable items and recycle others.
Removals companies sometimes charge
by volume, so reducing the amount you
take with you cuts costs.
32 | www.guildfordliving.co.uk