How to Buy a House for Less : Carolina Takla, London’s top buying agents, saves her clients on average 22% on the asking price of their new property and she wants to share her top tips for buying your next home for less. Finding and acquiring a property in London can be stressful and time-consuming and with the help of a buying agent, those problems can be taken off your shoulder.
- Do your homework
Spend as much time as possible researching your target area and viewing a range of properties, both above and below your budget to gain a better understanding of fair pricing. Speak to local agents, big names and independent ones alike, to have a pretty realistic view of the market. In terms of your purchase itself, take the time to understand the seller’s position. If their property has been on the market for long or they are in a chain and need to move quickly, your offer is far more likely to be considered.
- Be open minded
Once you understand the market, it’s time to consider all the viable properties before putting an offer forward. Don’t rule something out just because you don’t instantly like what you see, issues can be overcome. Take the time to think about how to maximise the space of a property because it is going to be useful if you decide to sell it in the future.
- Be proceedable
In an ideal situation, you want to have a solicitor instructed and mortgage in principal before putting the offer down. This will put you in a position to move forward quickly and it proves to the agent and the seller that you are serious about getting the deal done.
- Set the tone
The first week after the offer is accepted will show the seller what kind of buyer you are and will dictate the pace of the transaction. Put the solicitor in touch with the seller’s solicitor as soon as the offer has been accepted. Also, make sure the property is off the market, so that someone else doesn’t come along and steals your offer.
- Instruct a proper survey
Make sure you instruct a proper survey because once the report comes back it can highlight major issues, such as damp or failing boilers, that can lead to negotiating the price down further.
