This is a collaborative post, read my disclaimer here.
If you are in the process of buying a home, then there are certain boxes you need to tick for this to be a success. If you have been through the process before, then you know what to expect and you know the rough timeline from start to finish. However, if this is your first time getting yourself onto the housing ladder, then you may be struggling with the minefield you are about to navigate.
Check out the article below to find out more about what you need to do when it comes to buying a home.
What’s Your Budget?
First, you need to work out what sort of budget you have to play with. This will be both the money you have available for the deposit and the money that you get granted through your mortgage application. You can fill in mortgage calculators online to see how much you are entitled to, and many banks can offer you a mortgage in principle. These are very useful when you start house hunting, as then you can say you have been approved for a mortgage in principle,e pushing you further into the buying journey.
When you apply, banks will ask where you got your deposit from. If this has been saved or if it has been gifted, then you need to tell them. They are just making sure you can afford the repayments when you eventually apply for your mortgage.
Do You Need To Sell Your Existing Property?
If you have already experienced buying a property, then you may need to sell that one before you buy another. You are then creating a chain in the buying process, which can add some time, as it is all dependent on how quickly your current home sells. If you need to sell a property, then speak to the estate agent about this. You could sell yours and buy your next through the same agent. This cuts out any middlemen, and you need to ring around three or four different people when you are chasing for answers and deadlines.
Work With Estate Agents
The buying and selling field can be a bit of a nightmare, and while you can do it privately yourself, it can be much easier to use an estate agent. There will be fees included in this, however, it is totally worth the extra cost. If you are buying your first property, then you won’t have any agent fees to worry about. It will just be all the other costs to think about, including surveyors and conveyancing. You can read more about which estate agents are the best around you and choose what you feel is best.
Look At Houses
Now comes the time when you actually get to look at houses. This is perhaps the most exciting part of the process as you get to book viewings, and one of them is going to be your new home. Make sure that you’re looking at houses that are within your budget, though, as the last thing you need is to fall for something that is unaffordable to you.
As well as this, try to book viewings at properties that have potential and not just ones that you think look perfect. If you don’t mind a little bit of hard work, you could manage to get a fantastic property at an amazing price.
Find A Solicitor
You cannot go through the house buying process without legal help. You need a solicitor for the part of the process where you need contracts and other legal documentation. Ideally, you want someone who has experience, someone who knows what they are doing, and someone who is looking out for your best interests. The main job of the solicitor during this time is to ensure that everything being done is above board and that it all goes as smoothly as possible.
Contact Moving Companies
Now that you know where you’re going to be moving and when you’re going to be moving, you need to contact moving companies and get a variety of quotes. You need to know how much it’s going to cost and who is available on your chosen date. In order to avoid any kind of disappointment, we strongly recommend that you start looking at moving companies as soon as you know what your move-in date is. The sooner you can book, the higher the chance you have of booking a professional on your chosen date.
Make sure that you’re getting more than one quote, though, as you don’t want to massively overpay for this service. Remember, it depends on how much you have to move, how far you are moving, and how difficult the job is going to be as to how much you are going to be charged.
Change The Locks
The final thing that we’re going to mention is that you should change the locks now that you’ve got a new property. While we don’t think anyone who had a key previously would try to enter the home, you really never can be sure, which is why you should speak to a locksmith and get them all changed. Ensure that it’s the front and the back that are being replaced, and that you are the only person who has the keys.
Once you’ve had them for a while, you can then ensure everyone who needs one has one.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to consider when you are buying a home. It doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you know what you’re doing, but there are a lot of small details that can be easy to forget. You should know what to do now, though, so we wish you the best of luck and hope you manage to find the perfect space for you.
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