Buying your first home can be a daunting experience, even with the advice and support of parents and friends, so here are some useful tips to consider before owning your own property.

Take mortgage advice…

Before looking at properties, obtain independent mortgage advice. A specialist mortgage advisor can look at the whole mortgage market and match your individual circumstances to the right mortgage products available, taking into account your income, credit history and deposit.

This simple step could save you thousands of pounds over the life of the mortgage and ensure that you are eligible for a mortgage in the form of an ‘agreement in principle’ – something which means that Estate Agents will take you more seriously when you start to view houses.

You will also be able to find out just how much money you can lend to buy a property, so you know what price houses you can start viewing.

Plan your finances…

Once the mortgage advisor has given you a borrowing limit, do not be tempted to take this to the maximum and never borrow more than you can comfortably afford to repay.

You must allow for all the other expenses of home ownership such as council tax and utility bills, home insurance and property maintenance. This is particularly important if you are leaving home for the first time and have never budgeted for these before.

Choose a property carefully…

Once you start your search, look for properties which are likely to re-sell easily such as in popular locations close to amenities. Look for standard types of construction and styles which have a universal appeal to first time buyers such as modern two bedroom terraced properties or semis.

Most first time buyers stay for an average of three years before moving on, so you want a property which can easily be re-sold in the future.

Research the location…

Before you make an offer on a property, visit the location on workdays, weekends and at different times of day to assess issues such as parking in the neighbourhood when people are at home, noisy neighbours or other potential anti-social problems such as littering or graffiti which may occur only occasionally, but not at the times you viewed the property.

Do some research on crime statistics for the area and the performance of local schools to gauge the suitability of the area if you are not too familiar with it.

To look at all the properties we currently have available please click on the ‘Sale’ bar at the top of the page.

If you have any questions or queries or would like to book a viewing please call:

Marple – 0161 914 7620

Hazel Grove – 0161 300 7144