3 Things To Consider When Buying A House

So, you’re thinking of buying a house. Congratulations! Whether you are buying your first house, looking for something bigger, or even downsizing, we’ve got you covered. Buying a house is a huge decision, and it requires time, commitment, and patience to find the right house.

In this article, we are going to share with you some of our top tips for finding the right house for you.

Start with checklist

It would be a good idea to start by creating a house hunting checklist where you can note down and categorise everything that you want – and need -  from a new house.

Doing this will allow you to narrow down, at the very least the type of property you want, the ideal size and most likely a location or a general search area. This will allow you to start research houses to get an idea for how average house prices for your needs and to take a closer look at some locations.

Make sure you note down anything of interest so that you can come back to it at a later date when making decisions.

Research your possibilities

There are a lot of things to consider even once you’ve narrowed down your possibilities and it’s here that you should make sure you are researching every possibility. Before viewing any houses, it will be this research that gives you the insight you need to know what to look for once you schedule a viewing.

This is going to be especially useful for ruling out any problems with properties, as well as any that may have issues that become easily overlooked – such as access to public transport, availability of schools and amenities etc.

Asking the right questions

It’s vital that you are asking the right questions when viewing a house so that you are covering everything that you need to know. When it comes to such a huge life decision, there are no stupid questions, so make sure you ask the sellers and the estate agent anything you want to know, no matter how small.

Some things to ask your estate agent that could be game-changing include:

• What is included in the sale? – You may be getting extras included that the listing didn’t mention.
• How long has it been on the market? – The longer it has been on the market, the more likely you are to be able to negotiate a lower price.
• How long have the owners lived there? – A high number of sales in a short period of time could indicate problems that you haven’t been told about.
• How much are utility bills/council tax? – You may think you are getting a good deal, but you will also need to consider these costs as they can add a huge amount to your monthly bills.
• How old is the property? Is it listed? - Listed properties often have restrictions on how many changes you can make to the building. Also, not all insurance policies will not cover listed buildings – so be sure to find this out early on.
• What are the neighbours and the neighbourhood like? - Nobody wants to live beside noisy or disruptive neighbours or in a bad neighbourhood, and the estate agent or seller will know what the people are like better than you will.

No matter what type of house you are looking to buy, it is important that you do all that you can to make sure the house you find is the perfect fit for you. Using the steps outlined in this article, you will be able to find the perfect home for your needs in no time!