The biggest purchase of your life is going to be property. This means you have to ensure you’re making the right choice. But how do you know you’re doing everything right? From choosing the right area to live in to appointing the right conveyancing solicitors, there is a great deal to focus on.
Timelines
When you’re looking to make a property purchase, knowing when you can expect to achieve certain milestones can be difficult. And this just adds to already high stress levels.
The entire situation will be more straightforward if you know what timeline you’re working to. From when you can expect an offer acceptance or counter offer to when you’ll receive survey results and, finally, when you’ll be exchanging contracts and picking up the keys, there is a lot to keep track of.
It is advisable to make a note of when to expect certain developments to be completed, so you know when the process is being delayed and when you need to start chasing things up. It is also recommended that you know which solicitors you are going to instruct prior to the actual property purchase.
Do your research
The right information can provide a powerful weapon, so use it well. Carrying out your own research into the area your chosen property is in will help you evaluate whether it’s really the place for you and whether you’re paying the right amount.
Before you make an offer, you should look into a number of aspects of living in that area. You can find out the crime statistics of the locality, right down to the specific crime and what street it happened on. It may turn out you don’t want to live in that area after all.
You can also check whether there is a significant risk of flooding. If your prospective home is a leasehold property, you should find out every aspect of that contract, from how much it would cost to buy the freehold to whether the service charge will increase annually. You will save yourself a great deal of anxiety later if you inform yourself early in the process.
The right survey
Carrying out the right survey will save you stress, and potentially money, later. If you have any concerns about the state of the property you’re interested in, it’s advisable to get the most comprehensive and thorough survey possible. This is particularly true for older character properties.
Once you know what you may have to deal with if you went ahead with the purchase, you’ll be better able to negotiate with the seller. You’ll also know what sort of work the property requires to get to the standard you want it.
The sooner you know the results, the sooner you’ll be able to evaluate whether you want to continue with your purchase. You don’t want to find out when it’s too late that you’re dealing with a serious structural fault.
If you need help in de-stressing the process of moving, the right conveyancing solicitors will be able to help make everything more straightforward.
