The stages of buying a house

Step one: work out your budget

It’s recommended to seek financial advice before buying a home, to help you work out your budget based on your current outgoings. After you’ve settled on a budget, contact various mortgage lenders to see which company you would prefer to work with.

Step two: decide where to live

While it may seem easy to just choose a place that sounds nice, make sure to thoroughly check out the area. It’s worth visiting the area a few times, at different times of day, to see if you feel comfortable and safe there. Ensure the location has the amenities you need, such as a good primary school or easy to access public transport, if needs be. 

Step three: browse the market and arrange viewings

Check various listing websites for homes, as not all homes will be listed on all sites, and start looking for the type of property you’re looking for. A good tip is to look out for ground plans – this can give you a much more detailed sense of the place.

Make sure to view as many homes as you can, and take a list of questions with you to make sure you cover all bases. You will start to work out what you like and what you don’t like which will make narrowing down your choice much easier.

Step four: make an offer

If you like a house and can see yourself living there, it’s time to make an offer. Work out how much you’d realistically like to offer, based on how much you’re willing to pay for fixtures, fittings and furniture as well.

Step five: arrange your mortgage

Make sure you have found a mortgage lender, as it’s important to arrange finance early. The seller of the property can accept another offer at any point until the contracts are exchanged after a few weeks.

Step six: contact a solicitor

A conveyancer will work with you to prepare all legal documents, carry out searches, and guide you through the whole procedure in a stress-free way. Your conveyancer will let you know of each step you need to take to ensure the buying process goes as smoothly as possible.