3 Top tips on how to find & secure your next home

You can spend hours looking at properties online, but are you looking in all the right places?

Given the current property market you may find there isn’t a great deal out there and the best properties get snapped up quickly.  In this article we’ll explain how to find your dream property and be in the best position to have your offer accepted.

 

Property Portals

Currently the top portals are Zoopla, RightMove & OnTheMarket but not every property is on each one so the trick is to sign up for email alerts based on your search criteria on each portal, to make sure you don’t miss out.

Estate agents don’t always advertise their properties on all the search engines – most stick to two out of three, with Rightmove still the most popular.

 

Register with Estate Agents and/or New Build sites

It may be useful to register your details with a handful of Estate Agents, as the agents may contact you with properties they think may be of interest to you, before it has hit the open market and property portals.

It can sometimes take a few weeks for a property to hit the open market from the time the vendor approaches the agent, and if they know you’re in the market for such a property, they might be able to get you round before the property goes online.

If you’ve got your eye on a new build and have seen a local development, register your interest.  Developers are usually keen to sell properties before they’re build (known as ‘off plan’) and if you’re willing to take a leap of faith by not seeing the finished property then getting in early could be wise.

 

Get ready to put an offer forward

• Work out how much of a deposit you can put down and what fees may be involved. E.g. Solicitors fees, Agent fee’s, Stamp duty etc.
• Prepare all the relevant documents you will need for a mortgage application, so nothing delays the mortgage offer from being issued. Most mortgage lenders will need proof of identification and address along with your last 3 months bank statements & evidence of your income. (Depending if you are Employed or Self-Employed different documents will be required)
• Avoid taking out any credit commitments such as hire purchase, Buy Now Pay Later agreements or racking up a large credit card balance.
• Speak with a qualified mortgage broker, such as Mortgage Medics to understand your mortgage options and obtain a Decision In Principle (DIP) which will confirm how much you can borrow with a particular lender. Most Estate Agents will want to see a Decision In Principle Certificate before they put your offer forward to the Vendor.

 

If this has got you thinking, we’d be delighted to help.  Get in touch and we’ll talk you through your options, or sign up to our monthly newsletter, to keep your finger on the pulse. 

 

Will Sproule – 5th September 2022