You probably already have your ideal home in mind, but it’s important to do your research before you start house-hunting.
Make sure you examine your finances and work out your budget before you go on any property viewings.If you will need a mortgage to buy your new home it’s a good idea to start shopping around for the best deal. The mortgage Calculator offered by Which? Mortgage Advisers can also help you find out what your repayments would be at different interest rates, and to see how much you can borrow.
Some things you might want to consider when listing what makes an ideal home include:
Number of bedrooms
Your ideal home might have three bedrooms, but if that means you’ll have to stretch your budget, think carefully about whether you really need them. If you’d only use two bedrooms regularly, with the third used as a spare room for occasional guests, is it really worth spending thousands of pounds extra – or could a sofa bed in the sitting room do the trick for a fraction of the price?
Property type
While everyone is in search of their dream house, you might have to be realistic in your property search.On recent survey of 1,990 recent home movers in 2015, over two-thirds of home buyers told they had made some kind of compromise when choosing their property – and yet 89% were satisfied with those compromises.
Both ‘character’ and new build properties frequently command a premium, as do those in prime locations or built to top specifications.Unless you can get a good deal then consider an alternative. A property in need of attention should have a lower asking price than one that’s fully renovated, and a place that’s two or three years old will be cheaper than one that’s brand new.
Location
If you’re not sure where you would like to live but have your heart set on a particular style of property – for example, a Victorian terrace – find out where such buildings are common.
Ask yourself what locations you need to reach regularly, how you plan to travel there and how long the journey will take.
Check the website for lists of schools by education authority and performance tables. You can find out about admissions criteria on local authority websites.
If you find that the right property in your perfect location is out of your price bracket, consider selling up and moving into a rented house temporarily. This makes you a cash buyer, able to move quickly if new homes come on to the market, which will make you much more appealing to vendors.