Property Angels - Making a devil of a job simple

Decide on an area – Looking for properties in too wide a catchment area usually proves time consuming and ineffective. It is impossible to compare ‘like for like’ in areas that differ greatly on price, furthermore motivation tends to fade the longer a search drags on. Consider what is important to you, both from a work and social aspect - does an area suit your lifestyle, your personality, your budget?

Refine your criteria – Weigh up what you need from your next home and what is merely a preference, most buyers end up making compromises whatever their budget. Set yourself a timescale within which you hope to have moved – whilst this may be entirely flexible it is useful to have a goal in mind.

Register with the Estate Agents who cover your preferred area – It should cost you nothing to register with an agent, except time. As your search continues you will decide which agents consistently deal with the type of property you are seeking and you will probably end up concentrating on communicating with a select few. Provide the agents with your full contact details as it is quite common for properties to receive offers before sales brochures are approved.

Respond quickly to news of a suitable property coming available – The best properties attract a lot of interest from day one, if you like the sound of a new instruction take time out to view that same day, if you are one of the first people round you will stand a much better chance of securing your dream home.

Look beyond the superficial – If you are willing to spend time and money you can transform a property beyond recognition, playing up on its best features and distracting attention away from its worst. The façade of an unloved property can be vastly enhanced with a fresh coat of paint. With space at a constant premium a smaller house might become an affordable alternative with the addition of an extension or loft conversion (check the feasibility of this before committing to an offer).

Once you have found – Negotiate your offer with the Estate Agency, discussing timescale and any items of fixtures and fittings you may wish to purchase separately. Whilst most sales are agreed ‘subject to contract’ it is an expensive process to venture into lightly, cross any hurdles at this stage to avoid wasting time and money; your own and also other people's.

The buying process – Until contracts have been exchanged there are few guarantees, however this situation is the same for your vendor also. We recommend that, unless either party states otherwise, you should try to reach an exchange of contracts as soon as possible. Unfortunately the process can be lengthy and frustrating, we therefore try to keep in regular contact with our customers, clients and their respective advisors in order to eliminate predictable delays. If you experience any concerns during your purchase it is usually best to voice these quickly, invariably the estate agent can overcome any problems before they escalate.