How to speed up the process of buying a property

February 22, 2016 by Brendan O'Neill

Advice & Tips

Once you’ve found your dream home, you want to be able to move in as soon as possible. However, the property buying process doesn’t always run smoothly and can take up considerable time.

If you are a first time buyer, make sure that the seller knows this as they may be more likely to accept an offer from someone who isn’t in a property chain. Try to organise a mortgage before you make an offer, so that you are in a strong position for buying your home. A CeMAP qualified mortgage adviser will be able to offer advice on this front.

If you already own a property, sell that before you look for a house. This will increase the chances of your offer being accepted on the new property. If you have a buyer for your home, sellers and estate agents will be interested in you.

When you make an offer on a house, although it is fine to offer a little less than the asking price, don’t make the offer too low. This will make you more vulnerable to being gazumped and the seller may reject your offer.

Talk to the seller to find out how fast they want to sell their home and what their circumstances are. The seller may still be looking for a property and won’t be willing to complete the transaction until they have found a new home. Communication is vital between all parties, so make sure that you all know what is happening and why.