Buying a house can be a stressful time and with all the jargon some may find it a minefield so with this in mind Belvoir Yardley has written 10 step guide to house buying:
- Make sure you have all the relevant documents e.g mortgage certificate, proof of deposit and i.D (most if not all agents will ask for this)
- Establish the true cost of buying taking into account the fees involved, typically these will be, mortgage arrangement fees, legal fees, valuation fees, Stamp duty and removal cost…… remember you may need some furniture also!
- Check out the area at different times in the day, use websites to look at crime rates, school offstead reports and chat with the neighbours
- Good questions to ask the seller Where’s the main stopcock (to shut off the water)?
- Where are the gas and electricity meters?
- Do any surfaces need special cleaning products, for example, wooden floors?
- What day do the dustmen come?
- Do you have any old tins of paint in the same colour as the walls?
- Do you have any instruction manuals or warranties on electrical items?
- Where did the kitchen and bathroom tiles come from?
- Where did any fixed furniture come from, eg, kitchen cabinets?
- Who supplies the energy, broadband and home phone?
- Where is the thermostat?
- Compare removal quotes
- Check what the council tax band is, and can it be challenged
- Shop around when it comes to looking for mortgage advice and conveyancing quotes
- Don’t be afraid to chase your solicitor (the estate agent you are buying through will normally help with this)
- Keep positive during the sale as it can be stressful at times
Finally, make sure you take a nice big box of chocolates to the estate agents!
