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Keep a cool head when buying property

By: Paul Green

Anyone who's ever bought a home will know this moment: when you go to see a house for sale, and your heart excitedly tells you "this is the one!"

If you've had a long hunt to find the home of your dreams, it can be very easy at this moment to ignore your rational side and agree a sale as quickly as you can.

But actually this is the point to slow down, take your time, and ensure you know all the facts before you agree a purchase.

Buying property is not something you should rush. Your house is probably the biggest thing you will ever buy. And getting a house purchase wrong is something which could hang over you for months, maybe even years.

You should be very wary of overlooking problems with the house and its upkeep, as this can lead to large property maintenance bills down the line.

Just as importantly, there are a set of questions you should ask yourself when buying property.

First up are some basics about the house. Does it match your lifestyle? If you have children, is there plenty of space for them to grow into? Is the garden safe, or can it be easily made safe? Remember that children will grow and explore during the years you may live in this house. They might not go near that busy road now, but in a few years' time they may be crossing it each day to reach shops.

The next questions to ask yourself when buying property are financial. You will probably have an idea of the monthly mortgage cost, but do you know how much the council tax is? If the property is leasehold, how much is the ground rent? What are the likely running costs of the property on a monthly basis? You need to weigh up the pros and cons of everything. An older boiler may be less efficient so costing you more money to run, but will you see a payback within a few years if you replace it with a new one?

It's also worth asking the people you are buying property from what work they've had done over the last few years. Inspect everything they've changed, and don't be afraid to ask them what work the previous owners did. The more information you have available to you, the more rational a decision you can make.

Next up it's some of the most important questions you can ask when buying property: what's it actually like to live here? It's not like you can have a meal with the sellers and stay over for the night, so you will have to rely on asking them some probing questions.

What are the neighbours like? How do the local schools perform? How far away are they? Where are the shops?

Back up their answers by finding out for yourself - why not visit neighbours on a later date to see if this is a nice place to live (people who aren't selling their home will have less of an incentive to exaggerate the truth!). Park up in the street during rush hour to check this isn't a rat run, or used by local school kids to dump litter in the gardens.

Check local transport links and how far away the nearest bus and train stations are. Even if you are a two car family, you may need them one day. The best online property portals have comprehensive maps which show you local amenities near where you are planning buying property.

Finally, you should find out how quickly the current owners want to move, and whether the house is tied up in a chain. While this information should not be a deal breaker, it's handy to know, especially if you are currently renting and need to move by a specific date.

Make sure you get all of this information the next time you are buying property, and use your brain to make the decision, not just your heart.

For further information please visit our website at http://www.propertytoday.co.uk or ring us on 01733 427177.

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