Our industry blog
Sealed bids – What they are & playing the game to win
Agents have another trick up their sleeves that’s guaranteed to boost prices when several buyers are after the same property. Going to ‘sealed bids’ involves asking all the hopeful purchasers to formally submit their ‘best and final offer’ confidentially in writing by...
How To Find The Right Property For You
Finding the right property isn't as easy or as much fun as it sometimes looks on TV shows. Snooping around other people’s houses promises at the very least to provide hours of cheap entertainment (judging by the number of programmes devoted to the subject). But the...
When To Consider Paying A Higher Price For A Property
When can you justify paying a higher price for a property? A higher sale price is sometimes justified by sellers who make a point of telling you how much they’ve spent on various improvements. But as we saw in previous posts, what’s been spent doesn’t necessarily...
Buying A Flat Over A Commercial Premises
If you’re on a tight budget, buying a flat above a parade of shops should make your money go further. Depending on the type of business underneath, you can save between 10 and 20 per cent of the price of an equivalent property on a local residential street. You’re...
Share Of Freehold Properties – What you need to know!
Estate agents often trumpet the fact a flat is being sold with ‘a share of the freehold’. This doesn’t mean the flat itself is freehold – that would be bad news, as mortgage lenders won’t lend on freehold flats. What it usually means is that the freehold of the block...
Flats & Leasehold Properties – Things to be mindful of – Part 2
Following on from the success of our previous post we thought we'd take a closer look at leasehold properties and the tings to be aware of. SO where to begin? Ground rent A lease is basically an extremely long-term letting agreement, with the rent already paid up...
Flats & Leasehold Properties – Things to be mindful of – Part 1
It’s well known that buying a flat is generally a more complex operation than buying the equivalent house. This may explain why quotes for conveyancing mushroom significantly in size as soon as you utter the dreaded word ‘leasehold’. So what exactly is all the fuss...
Looking to make an offer on a house?
You’ve found the property you want. Now all that remains is to have your offer accepted and put the wheels in motion to buy it. But should you start by offering the full asking price? If not, how hard should you negotiate? Estate agents are not necessarily the...
The Ultimate Home Buyers Viewing Checklist
House-hunting can be an exhausting business. You may like the look of a property on paper, but estate agents’ particulars and brochures don’t tell the full story. Even online virtual tours won’t give an honest ‘warts and all’ picture, so it’s essential to discover...
Buying A Home Privately – No Estate Agent Involvement
So you're thinking of doing away with the estate agents and going out on your own, we walk you through the best approach. To get the house you really want means trying every angle. A small but significant number of properties are advertised privately. To save a lot of...