Top Tips When Buying A New House

Published: 14th July 2017

In 2016 the number of first time buyers hit a 10 year high since 2007. This shows fantastic progress, and a strength and willingness from a population living in a struggling economy.

While this is fantastic news, there are a lot of pitfalls when buying a home for the first time, and first-time buyers need to approach the situation armed with knowledge and confidence to make sure that they get the most out of their purchase.

Below are three vital questions to ask when trying to buy your first home.

What is included?
As the saying goes; if you don’t ask you don’t get. So why not see if there is anything else you can get out of the deal. Often sellers will include things like furniture or the garden shed, just to seal the deal, or to save the inconvenience of it being moved.

Is there anything you should know about the house?
To get a genuine answer to this question may require a little bit of investigation work as the sellers may try and gloss over some of the less attractive aspects of the property. Is there a sewage plant close to the property? Is the local train station going to close down? Are there any plans for new building works in the area? Where do your property boundaries lie? What are the neighbours like? Are all important questions.
Don’t be afraid to haggle
A good rule of thumb is to never accept the original asking price. Though trying to balance your counter offer can be extremely tricky. Too high and you risk not going low enough. Too low and you risk insulting the sellers and blocking them out. Don’t feel bad by making a counter offer. Most sellers expect a level of negotiation and will purposefully price their house higher to allow themselves some wiggle room.

One of the most important aspects to look for when choosing a conveyancing solicitor is experience. With more experience they have a greater knowledge of the conveyancing process as a whole and will be able to guide you through what has been dubbed one of the most stressful experiences of your life. To find out more call us on 01924 780 753.