The decision to buy your own home can be one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your life. And the complexities of the house purchase process combined with the challenges of moving home make the experience one of life’s major stressors.
Without careful planning and preparation becoming a home-owner or moving house can leave us physically and emotionally exhausted and with unexpected costs over and above the purchase price. This section provides a guide to the process, to help you plan and prepare and know what to do should things go wrong.
First considerations on finding a possible property
Once you identify a property you are interested in, you will want to find out as much as you can about the property and the area in which it is located so that you can be clear whether it is likely to meet your needs. There are a number of considerations that will help you to clarify whether to arrange a viewing. First of all, contact the estate agent to view the Home Report for the property.
Things you may want to consider will include:
- Is the property close to a main road or a railway line or are there pubs or restaurants nearby. On the one hand all of these can be convenient facilities, but the disadvantage may be unwanted noise.
- Is the property located underneath a regular flight path for an airport
- Do you like the situation and aspect of the house and can you imagine yourself settling here
- Is the property well maintained
- Are neighbouring properties cared for
- What are the reputations like of local schools
- Will the local amenities i.e. shops, GP surgeries & leisure facilities meet your requirements
- Are there any significant plans lodged with the local planning authority that may affect the desirability of the property
- Are there any significant crime problems in the area
- Will the public transport facilities meet your requirements?
Once you decide to view a property internally it can help if you can arrange to be accompanied by someone who will take an active interest in what you are looking for. They may notice things you miss.
Viewing the property initially during daylight hours will help you to identify obvious problems. Further viewings at other times of day, for example during the rush hour periods may help you to get a more complete picture.
Other things that may influence your decision to proceed include:
- Is the property a listed building or in a conservation area. Although this may be one of the attractive features it could also restrict the scope and increase the cost of future alterations
- Does the purchase price include furniture, fittings and any additional land etc
- How much is the council tax and average cost of other utilities such as gas, electricity, telephone and water
- Why is the house on the market now
- If the property has central heating; has the boiler been regularly serviced and is it due for replacement
- Does the property have loft & wall insulation
- Is there any evidence of subsidence, for example large cracks in walls or doors that are difficult to open or close
- Is there any evidence of dampness for example peeling paint or wallpaper, watermarks or mould
- Are there sufficient power points and is it likely you will need to consider re-wiring the property because of the age of the wiring.
You can find out more about the value of the house and how much similar properties have been sold for in the local area using the internet.
There are also a variety of websites that will provide information on the local area. You can find out about subsidence and flood risk, crime figures and details of the local schools. Local authority websites may show details of recent planning applications.
The Home Information Pack England and Wales
The Home Information Pack was suspended by the government from 21 May 2010. Instead all that is required will be an energy performance certificate.
The energy performance certificate, which ranks the energy efficiency of a home with A to G ratings, will be retained and must be produced by the seller within 28 days of putting a home on the market. See link below for further details.
Home Report (Scotland)
Houses for sale have to be marketed with a Home Report. This is a pack of three documents: a Single Survey, an Energy Report and a Property Questionnaire. The Home Report will be made available on request to prospective buyers of the home. There is no legal requirement to update the Home Report at any time provided the house remains on the market.
The Single Survey contains an assessment by a surveyor of the condition of the home, a valuation and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.
The Energy Report contains an assessment by a surveyor of the energy efficiency of the home and its environmental impact. It also recommends ways to improve its energy efficiency.
The Property Questionnaire is completed by the seller of the home. It contains additional information about the home, such as Council Tax banding and factoring costs that will be useful to buyers.
Organise your move
Good planning is needed to minimise the impact of what is likely to be an extremely stressful day. Creating checklists can help you to keep track of what has been completed and what else needs to be done:
Preparing a box of essentials that you will need on moving day will help to avoid spending time hunting through your packed belongings to try to retrieve these items:
- Kettle
- Milk, tea, coffee etc
- Snacks
- Cups
- Cutlery
- Bedding & towels
- Toiletries
- Toilet roll
- Light bulbs
- Small tool kit
- Pet food.
Relocating
Moving house can be a stressful process in itself but relocating your place of work and uprooting your family will add considerably to stress levels. There are many practical factors to consider when relocating to another part of the country. Careful planning and preparation will help to ensure a smooth transition. Make a checklist together with a “who to notify” checklist to minimise the stress of moving.
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