How do we buy a house in England?

[WilmaSlaghoople]

We've been expats for a few years and never bought in England so have no idea of the procedures.

We know the house in question as we used to rent next door to it.

We assume that we phone the agent and put in an offer - but what happens after that. What about surveys etc?

All help appreciated (and I know it's not a good time to buy however all that has been taken in to account and for various reasons for ourselves it works)

Put in offer. Find mortgage provider. Get survey done (various levels of survey, mortgage people generally happy with basic for their - valuation - purposes, you might want more substantial one dependant on age/condition of property). Get mortgage approval. Solicitor carries out searches. All okay, contracts drawn up and signed. Exchange and completion dates agreed. Once exchanged contracts are committed.

I just got a mortgage (as non resident expat) with the Halifax... Hope that helps

Thanks. At what point can we ask the solicitor to stop showing anyone else round?

Topaz - what kind of rate did you get? We're going to be asking for a 25% mortgage but we're also not going to move back in to it immediately. It's going to take about 9 months so we will hopefully get it rented out (but don't want a BTL mortgage!)

In England the solicitor doesn't deal with "showing people around" houses, that is the Estate agent, it is different in Scotland. The Estate agent will probably stop showing people around once you have put in an offer and it has been accepted, however if you take a long time over getting to exchange of contracts and completion they may start re-showing. Or some vendors have had bad experiences and ask them to keep showing people.
Renting out a property on a normal mortgage may not be possible.
If you don't want to move in for 9 months, and the house doesn't need a lot of work doing, then I wouldn't buy yet (unless it is only this house that you want). As the market in most places is pretty flat.

Chat to the estate agent and they will take you through the process.

Yes, you put in an offer. Once it is accepted, instruct a solicitor and speak to your bank. The bank arranged the survey the last time we bought a house.

Make it a condition of accepting your offer that the EA should stop showing poeople around and ask them to put up a sold sign if necessary.

Fuchzie - I knew there was something along that lines that could be done. Thanks for confirming it.

I believe of the property is to be rented out for any period I think you need a buy to let mortgage so I recommend getting mortgage advise and they can then help you through the buying process.