Buying tactics -top tips

[Flopsygrowsup]

We're looking to buy a new house have lived here for 10 years so out of practice what are your top tips

No matter how much you love a place, if the sums don't add up, walk away. It should be a long-term investment as much as a home.

Walk through the house separately if you're viewing as a couple - gives a chance to compare notes on feel / possible issues etc once you get home.

Get a good surveyor - sometimes it's cheaper to spend a few hundred and not get the house. We had ours come in for a 'walk through' on a couple before we offered. It meant that we then had a good indication of what our exit price in any negotiation would be - saved us from 'losing the run of ourselves' as my DM would say.

Very best of luck in the search!

Thanks blackmoonlight -def agree re survey saved us from a complete nightmare when we looked last time

Yes, while they can't find everything, it's nice to have at least an understanding of what you might be getting yourself into.

Saved us, well me, from attempting to purchase a beautiful Art Deco house. Looked just a bit run-down in an 'should be fine in a year with re-wiring & plumbing' type way to 'HOW much to make it actually liveable ?' (Seem to remember estimated renovation costs were more than the asking price...)

ThE one we saw was a renovated cottage with lovely features however none of plumbing attached roof on back to front, soil pipe emptying into kitchen open drain hidden behind cupboard etc etc etc

So just a 'small' consideration or twenty then?

indeed :-)

Visit the street/area at different times (eg weekend nights, end of school day, sunday mornings etc) to get a feel for how noisy/full of traffic it might be.

The nicest house in the world can be ruined by noisy neighbours etc.

Around here house prices are going crazy (nice when we were selling, not so nice when we wanted to buy!). To get an idea of what houses are selling for, in comparison to their asking price, I would "register your interest" in properties you've viewed, then you'll be kept in the loop with what offers come in.