Home Buying Tips

Buying a new property can be both an exciting and daunting prospect. Take a look at our home buying tips to help you make the most of your search for a new property.

Many people simply don't know where to start when looking for their dream purchase or first home. The home buying process is constantly evolving due to ever changing market conditions and new government legislation.

Our home buyers guide aims to cut through the jargon to help all home owners on the right path to finding a new home - whether your a first time buyer or a long term homeowner ready to make the next step up the property ladder.

Our step by step guide aims to point you in the right direction by giving you all the information you need to know about the home-buying processing.

1. New home affordability

The most important factor when considering a new home has to be affordability. Calculating your price range is a crucial step in determining how much it will cost you to move home. This is because there are a variety of one-off expenses incurred when moving home and factoring these costs into your home move is an important step to take.

• How much can I borrow? This is the first question that most perspective homebuyers are looking at. By entering some of your personal details, such as your salary, into the Cheshire's 'How much can I borrow?' calculator, you will get an idea of the size of mortgage you will be able to obtain.
• One Off Costs - Many homebuyers will be unaware of the one off costs involved in moving home. Make sure you visit our One-Off Costs page for a summary of some of the extra charges you are likely to incur when moving home.

2. Define your new home requirements

Defining a set of realistic requirements at the start of your property search could save you a lot of time. By compiling a set of requirements early on in the process, you can potentially narrow your search to the properties that are suitable for you. It may also help you to weigh-up the difference between some properties that you deem evenly matched.

One way of doing this could be by having a list of essential requirements, a list of desirable requirements and a list of factors that would make a property unsuitable.

This will enable you to work out which property characteristics you feel able to compromise on and which factors are non-negotiable when looking for a new house.

For an example of how best to define your search parameters please visit our New Home Requirements page.

3. Rating the properties you view

Rating the properties you see isn't always easy. If you are viewing multiple properties in the same day it can be difficult to remember the pros and cons of each property. In order to make the most of your viewings you may wish to do the following:

• Bring a digital camera with you and take photo's of the houses you see - not all rooms will appear on property portal websites so this can be a good way to store information.
• Make notes of any unique features, colours and layout.
• Pay attention to surrounding properties - is the garden overlooked? Is your bungalow towered over by bigger houses? What is next door?
• Familiarise yourself with the location by walking around at different times of the day.
• As soon as you leave, rate all homes on a scale of 1-10. This immediate reaction will come in useful when you sit down to evaluate the properties you have seen at the end of your search.

4. Second viewings for top properties

After days or possibly weeks of viewing properties you will instinctively have an idea of the top two or three contenders. When you are at this stage it is always advisable to organise a second viewing. These are essential as they allow you to look at a property from a more analytical position and notice elements that were overlooked during the first viewing. This can also be a good chance to get an idea of the seller's motivations to see if there is a chance for a discounted deal in exchange for a quick purchase.

Ok, so you've found the perfect house, you've got your online mortgage decision, what next?

5. Making your offer

• Decide what you're prepared to pay for the property, but be prepared to negotiate.

• Once your offer has been accepted, a written confirmation will be sent to you and then you can arrange a survey of the property.

6. Exchanging contracts

• A contract will be drafted for you and the seller to sign by your solicitor - once this is signed it'll be legally binding so make sure you understand and are happy with all its content.
• Once both parties have signed the contracts, they'll be exchanged and that's when you become legally committed to the sale.

7. Completing and moving in

• Use www.iammoving.com (in association with Royal Mail - opens in a new window) It's an easy to use service that's aimed to help your move be a little less stressful, and best of all, it's free!

• If you haven't already, now it's time to box up all your belongings, putting which room they will belong to in your new home.
• Once your solicitor has transferred the money to the seller's solicitor, you can collect the keys from your Estate Agent.
• Make sure the kettle is easy to get to as it'll be the first thing you need by the time you get to your new home!