It is important to keep a realistic budget in mind when looking for a property. Very often, buyers can forget additional costs, which can impact on their spending power if they are not taken into account.
When buying, remember you will need to allow for:
If you are marketing a property to sell and looking to find a new home, the decision whether to find the new home first or wait can be a conundrum. Flick & Son can offer the best advice as this decision is very often related to the current market conditions.
Before you make an offer, make sure you know what exactly is included in the price. Items mentioned in the property particulars will be included but there may be other items in place which could be negotiated with the vendor.
When your offer is accepted it is always ‘subject to contract’. This means that either side could still pull out of the transaction right up until sale and purchase contracts are exchanged.
It is worth checking whether the vendor will continue to advertise the property for sale or agree to withdraw for a time while contracts are prepared. The agent selling the property should be able to clarify the position. for a time while contracts are prepared. The agent selling the property should be able to clarify the position.
You will need to be ready to pay the purchase price at the time contracts are exchanged so if you need to organise a mortgage or release investments, this is the time to start making arrangements.
The mortgage lender will want to make their own valuation and you may also want to commission a building survey or HomeBuyer report yourself for your own peace of mind. Flick & Son can recommend suitably qualified local surveyors who can carry this out for you.
Your solicitor will need to be instructed to start local authority and environmental searches as applicable. Once they are satisfied with all the legal aspects of the purchase, and you have the finance in place, contracts can be exchanged.
It is likely to be a minimum of four weeks after an offer is accepted before contracts can be exchanged. It can take longer. Once this process is completed you are required to pay the deposit. The sale is then legally binding with no further negotiation although you do not own the property quite yet.
This is normally a further period of around four weeks after exchange when the formalities of the purchase are completed. At this stage the property is yours and you can move in.
We are in the final stages of a property purchase through Flick & Son, and have been fortunate to have worked with Parminder Boseley throughout the process. In addition to keeping on top of all facets of the transaction, Parminder has responded to my myriad of queries promptly, professionally and with good humour. I shall rather miss our communications when the purchase is complete.
Michelle Botha