House buying

[CharlotteRose90]

Hi,

So I’m not sure if this is the right section for it but I’m needing help.

I’m a first time buyer and I’m hoping to buy a house early next year. Haven’t found one yet but is there anything that I should be looking out for in terms of no nos .

Im northwest way. All I care about is having 2-3 beds, a drive or parking and a back garden.

Just feel I’m in over my head with not knowing what can be dangerous etc.

A detached house was the main priority for me.
Anywhere with parking issues was out and also anywhere near a school.
Have a look at the crime in the area you are interested in. That can make a big difference.
If a garden is important then South facing is best.

I would avoid anything shared, like shared car park, shared drive etc. It just causes hassle.

A lot of new build estates have management companies which can add an extra layer of hassle and annual fees.

As well as your deposit, make sure you have enough money for solicitors fees and surveys, etc.

Check the area’s crime rates.

Google for “info for first time buyers”, what’s what I did when I was looking.

Maybe take a parent/friend to viewings in case they spot things you miss.

@CharlotteRose90 what do you mean by dangerous?

Your budget will impact things you might to compromise on, for example whether you can afford a garden, private driveway, smaller 2nd or 3rd bedroom etc. I have never thought of anything to do with house buying as dangerous though.

Freehold, never leasehold.

[quote Ro198]@CharlotteRose90 what do you mean by dangerous?

Your budget will impact things you might to compromise on, for example whether you can afford a garden, private driveway, smaller 2nd or 3rd bedroom etc. I have never thought of anything to do with house buying as dangerous though.[/quote]
Probably used the wrong word. I meant like falling for schemes or problems. You hear stories about people selling houses with numerous problems. My budgets pretty adaptable if needed.

I guess I don’t want to buy a house and it’ll be on an old mining area or some dodgy grounds.

Anything worrying should be picked up in conveyencing (which is when a solicitor checks out that everything is okay with the property before you officially buy it). But I would avoid, yes, things that are shared and also anything that would make it hard to re-sell (sewage works nearby, caravan site next door, pub behind the back garden, etc.). And you should love it and it should feel like home.

I personally wouldn't buy a new build either.

^A detached house was the main priority for me.
Anywhere with parking issues was out and also anywhere near a school.
Have a look at the crime in the area you are interested in. That can make a big difference.
If a garden is important then South facing is best^

I'm sure they would be for most people, but there's usually a budget to consider too.

Re conveyancing, make sure you use your own solicitor and not one recommended by the seller if you buy new build. There's been some alarming issues such as doubling ground rents and I'm sure that these must have been glossed over at the conveyancing stage.

Moneysavingexpert is always a good start for learning about anything money related and they do a comprehensive guide for first time buyers, so maybe have a read of that.

Make sure you get a full survey

Avoid new build unless you can negotiate a good deal on price. They are often way more expensive then similar older homes and lose value instead of increasing. They also sometimes have service charges to pay and hardly any parking. If you can, buy with your own deposit rather than doing the government help to buy scheme or shard ownership as you'll end up paying more in the long run on these schemes. If you can, do 10% deposit or more as you'll get better mortgage rates.

Buy somewhere you can see yourself living for at least 10 years as you never know what might happen and you could get stuck in a house you'll outgrow too quickly. Make sure you get the environmental report with flood risk. Don't buy if its within a flood risk, even if it's not the highest risk.

Make sure you drive around the area a lot, and see who your neighours are, google the address and the road just to be sure its a safe and nice road, i didnt do that when i bought my house and cant wait to get out, noisy neighbours, drug dealer down the road, if i had of googled the address the drug dealer was mentioned as his house was raided...

I recommend that when you have an offer accepted on a house that you get your own survey done on it. Preferably structural and also someone to check things like the electrics.

Are you planning to buy somewhere that needs work or somewhere you could pretty much move straight in to? I'd definitely be checking things like windows, will they need replacing? What kind of heating system does it have and how old is the boiler? Will it need a new bathroom or kitchen? Are there any signs of damp or mould? All these things can end up being very expensive so make sure you have a good look around and don't feel shy to ask to view the property more than once.

Walk around the area and see if you like it :)

I also checked local sold prices to see whether the property was priced realistically compared to the other houses in the area.

Good luck op :)

Try to get one sorted before the end of the stamp duty holiday in March, it will save you thousands.

Visit the area you like at different times, school times in case there's loads of kids hanging around the area, what the area has to offer, i.e., shops, bars etc.

I wouldn't worry too much on structural/dodgy grounds as your solicitor/surveyor will pick up on stuff like that for you.

@Mistymonday

Freehold, never leasehold.

I put an offer in on a house on 4th September, all going through then found out down the line it was leasehold, what a pain in the aris!!!

I would have still gone for the house as it's perfect, but it has delayed things for a while.

Thank you all for the advice I appreciate it.

I would not be buying a new build or a leasehold place that’s one thing I wouldn’t do.

I don’t mind buying a house that needs work as I’m happy to make it my own.

I’ve been recommended a solicitor my bank uses but I may look around. I’m also looking at full surveys and they cost a lot near me but I guess it’s worth the money for less stress.

@CharlotteRose90 I'm going through a sale and purchase at the moment and am north west, my solicitors are great, my estate agent recommended them, they always answer emails quickly, available on the phone, always get an answer, made the purchase a lot less stressful. Definitely go on recommendations.

Make sure you know your budget before you start browsing because there's nothing more painful than really wanting something you can't afford. A mortgage agreement in principle is also useful so you can act fast if you see something you like.
I would check flood maps (should be on the Environment Agency website) - basically never live below the level of the road, very close to a river or at the bottom of a big hill!
Visit at different times of day to see what traffic and neighbourhood noise is like. Most residential side streets don't vary much but you don't want to move in and then find out all the local teenagers hang around on the corner of your garden wall.
If you drive to work then try to check your commute time at rush hour.
Think about "future proofing" - you don't say if you have kids or might have in the future but if so, check school catchments and the size of the spare bedrooms. It might be worth spending a bit more for a 3rd bedroom than buying a 2bed that you grow out of in a couple of years time.
Take someone you trust the opinion of to a second viewing, if it's somewhere you really like they might pick up things that your rose tinted specs have missed, or validate that it's a really good property.

Visit the location at several times to check for barking dogs.

Ask the estate agent if any of the next door neighbours have dogs.

(Sorry but incessant dog barking was a huge problem for me with my previous neighbours - and I like dogs)

Check the state of the fences - are they high enough for you? I wouldn't want to move to a new place and start having fencing issues with neighbours

Drive around the area at different times but also take a walk as you see a different perspective from just driving through. On the first day I moved into my last house, we walked down a lane to the local shop and definitely saw a different/slightly dodgy side to the area.

@emmathedilemma

Make sure you know your budget before you start browsing because there's nothing more painful than really wanting something you can't afford. A mortgage agreement in principle is also useful so you can act fast if you see something you like. I would check flood maps (should be on the Environment Agency website) - basically never live below the level of the road, very close to a river or at the bottom of a big hill! Visit at different times of day to see what traffic and neighbourhood noise is like. Most residential side streets don't vary much but you don't want to move in and then find out all the local teenagers hang around on the corner of your garden wall. If you drive to work then try to check your commute time at rush hour. Think about "future proofing" - you don't say if you have kids or might have in the future but if so, check school catchments and the size of the spare bedrooms. It might be worth spending a bit more for a 3rd bedroom than buying a 2bed that you grow out of in a couple of years time. Take someone you trust the opinion of to a second viewing, if it's somewhere you really like they might pick up things that your rose tinted specs have missed, or validate that it's a really good property.

Yeah I completely agree. I’ve got all my deposit sorted and the money for fees and also got my mortgage in principle sorted. Just trying to find a house I like 🙈. Oo I will add flood maps to my list didn’t even think about that 🤣

Look for potential parking issues, and I would avoid a shared drive

Voice of naive, bitter experience here.
Don't let a lick of paint distract you from things like 20 year old boilers and 20 year old bathrooms. Otherwise, if you're like us, you won't factor it enough into the price. We should have gone with 25% under the asking price.
Don't let the seller reassure you with bullshit like, "My dad's a builder and..." on anything apart from that person's area of expertise. Our seller used that trick to reassure us that the boiler was ok. The boiler was not ok.
Be wary of what the seller's warranties say. In the form Q&A form the seller was asked if the heating system worked. The seller responded that "the house is warm". The house was warm-ish and the heating system only worked 50%.

That said, some things just need doing, and that's a fact of life and it doesn't mean you've overpaid. You need to expend money to maintain the house.

Only ask someone's opinion on price if you really trust them. Some people are gits and will always tell you they'd never put an offer in at that price and will try to make you feel like a fool.

Check the deeds for random restrictive covenants. An acquaintance of mine was incensed she was not allowed to keep pigs or chickens in her new build's postage stamp sized garden and she had no intention of keeping them anyway she was just miffed that how dare the property developer tell her what she can and can't do or replace the windows in a different style :D I had sympathy with the windows one, the new build estate where she bought the house is a hodge podge of different designs and styles and different roads have different windows, so fuck knows why the developer was trying to maintain the look of the house and estate. The estate wasn't exactly designed to fit in with a conservation area!

Location location location for me. It's better to have a smaller house or something less attractive on the outside, in the right location than a lovely house in a crap location. I've done both and would now always pick the first scenario.

Yes to the flood comments. A house estate close to us is being built on land that always floods. I'm sure they will sort the drainage but I'd not buy there for that very reason.

Shared driveway and access across your land can be a right royal pain in the arse

Make sure you know which boundaries/fences belong to the house

The freehold vs leasehold thing is a fair point but a lot of north west houses are leasehold on long, low leases. Ours is a 995 year lease for something like £1 a year. If it’s a period property leasehold shouldn’t put you off.

Would never buy a leasehold new build though 😬