More tips for buying a first home

One of the best things to do when you are purchasing your new home is to understand how estate agents work. In the UK, a seller appoints a real estate agent to sell their home. They may even ask more than one estate agent to try to find a buyer. For this the estate agent charges commission once the sale is completed. In a strong property market, there is generally no problem finding a buyer and most houses that are not in need of renovation will sell very quickly.

You may find that if you go to view houses then you will be asked a lot of questions by the estate agent. This is because they need to establish if you are a serious buyer and if you have the means to buy it. They will also want to know if there is anything that may hold up the process. As a first-time buyer you will not have a property to sell, so there will be no chain from your point of view, but some buyers may be waiting on a buyer for their home, then in turn when they find a buyer that person could also be waiting to complete on a sale. Where there is a long chain it can be a lengthy process to complete a purchase and it can take some time before everyone is ready to move.

Looking for a chain-free property will help you to speed up the process considerably and your estate agent will be able to confirm the details of any chain.

Let your estate agent help you

Giving the estate agent as much information as possible about your situation will also help them to assist you in finding the perfect property. Try to be as specific as possible. If you only want to buy a one-bedroom flat then explain that, so they aren’t wasting their time sending details of larger houses.

They will be able to give you advance information on new properties coming onto the market before the information is listed on the UK-wide property sale websites. This means that any that you are interested in are available for you to view before most people will even know about them.