advice on buying a house

[clvrlad]

im currently contemplating buying somewhere to live rather than rent,
the credit crunch hopefully meaning ill get a good price on where i buy

however I've not done this before anyone got and advice?
and yes I've browsed various websites but talking to people who've been through it feels more helpful to me


and if anyone knows a good surveyor and/or conveyancer that would be handy

[gill216]

Don't know of any conveyancers in your area Clvrlad but I'd personally recommend Henry Hyam's in Leeds. They stood us in good stead twice. First of all they got us a £5000 reduction on price on the first house we bought in Leeds (long story but there was a fiddle going on that they picked up on) and when we sold it was 3 weeks from start to finish at a very reasonable price.

[giraffe]

If you are looking at houses the most important things are the ones you can't change like where it is. Not just the area, but is it on a busy junction etc. Also don't forget that just because something doesn't put you off, like a train track running past the back window it migh make it hard to sell again.

If you want to see what other places have sold for Nethouseprices is a good website.

[Bunnylump]

I'd say don't be afraid to put in a really low offer. You can always negotiate back up a little if you really like a place and can afford it. The problem I had when we were looking at houses all those years ago was that I felt it necessary to be "polite" to the people whose houses I was looking at and say complimentary things about the house. DON'T. That makes them think that you really like it and therefore they will hold out for a higher price. Oh, and DO specifically ask about the neighbours, and whether there have been any disputes, and make sure you do that in the presence of the estate agent so that you have a witness. I would also suggest that you don't necessarily accept the advice of the estate agent on which property lawyer to use. We have just done that with the sale of Mum's house, and the Lawyer has turned out to be useless, slow and expensive.

I know Strep was recently trying to buy a place and encountered all sorts of problems with identification (needing a passport or driving licence, for example - did I get that right, Strep?) So it might be worth asking about that too before you apply for a mortgage, so things don't get held up.

[giraffe]

I bought a house while Stephen was living in Japan, and I found it really helpful to write to him when I got back from viewing a house, and draw him a floor plan and describe it in detail. It really clarified in my mind what I had just seen.

[strep98]

If you go for a reposession be prepared to lose it (I've lost two last year almost at the point of exchange), don't go with a solicitor the estate agent recomends go with a conveyancer they are cheaper.

[MBH]

I found it really helpful to write to him when I got back from viewing a house, and draw him a floor plan and describe it in detail. It really clarified in my mind what I had just seen.

Good advice, but you forgot to give him Stephen's address

Don't ask me - I've failed miserably over the years with house buying and selling - NEVER made any money on any place I've been in

[eirian]

Don't go to somewhere like 'Conveyancing Direct' - we deal with large 'conveyancing' companies all the time and they are useless. Your best bet is to ask around and get a recommendation of a small local firm of solicitors. Now, if you were in Manchester, I could recommend a few!

[LAT]

I'd agree with that, a small firm should give you better service and they ought to be able to quote you either a fixed fee or a fixed rate so that you know wat it is likely to cost you.
Get someone else to look at any house you are seriously interested in with you. Different people spot different things.

[eirian]

fixed fees are the best to go with, but I'll check the search fees when I'm back at work tomorrow - I've known some solicitors charge a fortune for Land Reg searches, where a copy of the title only costs £6 (I know that well - I do around 50 of these a month). Water searches cost ~£42 for residential properties, but I can't remember what the coal ones are. Local searches vary depending on the local authority as well.

I'm not sure if you'll have ground rents where you are, and they are disappearing in a few years (think it's 2020), but the rentcharge owners can be a right pain - demanding an extortionate fee for consent to the slightest alteration etc. Hopefully that won't be an issue though.
I suspect you won't have to worry about them though as they are mainly just up here (we have great fun with solicitors from the south who just don't understand them).

[clvrlad]

well i've made an offer been accepted,
survey and conveyancing sorted
just need to wait as it is a repossession hope no one out bids me

[LAT]

Oooh exciting! Keep us posted!

[giraffe]

Gosh that was quick!

[clvrlad]

Gosh that was quick!

never been accused of anything but

hang on thats not good....

[Bunnylump]

Are we still talking about house buying here?

Hope it all goes smoothly, Clvrlad. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.