Listings appear and disappear within days, and buyers are asked to decide in an afternoon what they will live with for a decade. Preparation is the only thing that makes that survivable.
Decide what is fixed before you look
Write down the three things about a home that cannot be changed — the location, the light and the plot — and the three that can. Kitchens, bathrooms and paint are budget items. A north-facing garden is not.
Be ready to move on the day
- A mortgage in principle, dated within the last three months.
- A solicitor instructed and on file, not one you will find afterwards.
- Proof of deposit in a form a vendor's agent will accept.
- A survey firm you have already spoken to.
The second viewing is the real one
Go back at a different time of day, in different weather, and walk the street rather than the house. The first viewing tells you whether you like it; the second tells you whether you will still like it in February.
An ideal home is chosen with a clear list and secured with the paperwork done.Slateon Sales
Knowing when to stop
The buyers who overpay are almost never the ones who moved fastest. They are the ones who had been looking longest and were tired. Set the number before the viewing, and let somebody else hold you to it.
