Member Article

What to expect when you’re expecting to buy a home

Adore Properties MD, Jeremy O’Connor, give his advice on what people can expect when going in to purchase a new property.

Whether it’s your first home or your 15th, there will still be no sensation like it – the moment the keys land in your hand and a property becomes yours. However, before you get to this stage, there are several barriers you will need to pass. Take a look at our three tops tips to homebuyers…

1 – Surveys beneath the surface

You’ve found a property you can you see yourself in, yes there’ll be some paint to change and some extra furniture to bring in but overall it’s solid…and then the survey results come back. With everything checked, from leaky taps to possible asbestos, the results of the survey can feel overwhelming, but help is at hand. There can be room to negotiate with the home owners for some updates to be done and your agents can help to find a repair company that can take care of several issues over the course of a few days.

2 – Try before you buy

It’s wise to visit your home, not just several times but at several different times of the day and on several different days. A street or residence that can seem quiet during the day may come to life on a night or have parking issues on a weekend. It’s also worth checking with the council about any noise complaints or ongoing disputes between neighbours.

3 – Leasehold lows

Once only an issue for those in flats or hi-rises, leasehold issues are becoming increasingly common on new builds. The leasehold can have a serious impact as the maximum increases in costs can double each year, making the property difficult to sell in future and throwing up affordability issues for you. Of course, the best advice I could ever give is to find an estate agent that is knowledgeable about your local area. Not only will they have a better idea of house prices, know local businesses that can help, and be able to recommend areas that match what you’re looking for but, having an office close-by, means you can drop in and talk face to face about any questions or queries that inevitable accompany the purchase of your new property.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Adore Properties - Stockton .