Buying your first home is an exciting period in your life, looking for your dream house. However, buying a property can be stressful, especially if it’s your first property, as there are so many potential pitfalls.
There are some steps which you can take, to ensure that you pay the right price for a house and don’t end up buying a property which requires a lot of work on it, costing more money. To avoid making an offer on a house which is unsuitable, take your time when viewing a property, and go to see it several times, noting all potential problem areas as you do so. Here are some more tips for buying your first property:
Go to see a property more than once, so that you view it at different times of day and night. This will enable you to see what the area is like at various times, while viewing during the day will make it easier to spot any potential problems with the exterior. If you view a property multiple times, you are more likely to spot problems. This may not be a bad thing, as you can negotiate with the owner to get the faults sorted out
According to research, the longer you take to view a property, the more likely you are to secure the house for less than the asking price. Take your time and don’t feel that you are inconveniencing the owner by looking around. After all, the extra few minutes spent looking around the rooms could save you some money
Don’t be afraid to check that light switches work, taps aren’t leaking and water pressure is fine. Open the windows, patio doors and other doors so that you know that they are in good working order. Once you have moved into a property, you don’t want to have to pay for doors and windows to be replaced
Pay for a comprehensive house survey, which will uncover all major faults. Although the thorough survey will be more expensive, it could save you thousands of pounds in repairs and replacements
Spend some time in the general neighbourhood so that you get a feel for the area. Once again, visit the area at various times of day so you know whether there is any trouble in the neighbourhood, or what it is like at rush hour. A quiet area mid morning could be completely different when commuters are travelling home
Don’t forget the exterior of the property. It is too easy to view a house and fall in love with the interior without giving much thought to the outside. Look for missing or loose roof tiles, cracks in the walls and broken or blocked guttering. If there are any signs of problems, ask the owner if they will be fixed
Buying a property is likely to be the largest expense you will make during your life, which is why it is important to use caution and spend some time viewing a house before you make it your home.
