First Time Buyers

YOU know what sort of house you want but what's the best way to make sure you end up in your dream home?

Our handy guide offers some useful advice about what to consider during this exciting but emotional time.

Where to search

SCOUR local newspapers, the internet, estate agents and FOR SALE signs for potential homes. If you like a particular area or street, you could even put a note through doors explaining your interest. Contact house-building companies to see where they are planning to construct. Word of mouth is important too so tell friends and family to keep an eye out for you.

Give your details to estate agents and keep in regular contact so hopefully you are the first person they think of when a suitable property comes up. An estate agent will want to know what sort of buyer you are so be prepared to answer questions such as have you got a property to sell, what type of property you are looking for and how much is your budget.

You are not under any obligation to the estate agent; the seller is paying them to act on their behalf, not yours.

New-builds

IF you buy a new-build property early enough, you may have some say over the planning and layout of the home to suit your needs, and choice of fixtures and fittings.

The sale should be more straightforward and quicker than one involving a chain of older properties. Modern facilities often incorporated into a new home include en-suites bedrooms, utility rooms and downstairs toilets.

There is also the 10-year guarantee under the National House-Building Council scheme. There still may be snags and faults but a surveyor should be able to highlight these. You may have to try harder to visualise the rooms with your furniture and belongings inside and not the plush furnishings of the show home; this is even harder buying a home off-plan before it is built.

Location

YOU can improve the property but you can't move it so location is vitally important.

Do you have family and friends nearby, and can they park easily when they come to visit?

Think about how close it is to work, road networks and transport links; check bus and train timetables and calculate the length of time for your daily commute.

It's useful to have amenities nearby such as shops, pubs, a post office, leisure centre and cinema, but remember these might bring with them parking problems, light pollution and noise.

As for noise, are you likely to have lorries thundering by at unsociable hours? Is the house on a flight path or near a train track? Is there a bleeping pelican crossing right outside the dining room? It is advisable to view the property at different times of the day to compare noise and activity levels during busier times such as the school run and rush hour.

An important factor for families is whether the home is in the catchment area of a decent school. You can check a school's performance through Ofsted inspection reports via the Office for Standards in Education website, and you can also scour the local authority's website and local newspapers for reports.

The local newspaper is also a good research tool to find out about crime in the area, and you can ask the police for information.

Bear in mind potential future changes such as new developments, planned transport links and new restaurants and bars. Local searches reports in the Home Information Pack should reveal the details but carry out your own research on planning applications by visiting the local council website. Likewise the Environment Agency website features a wealth of information on issues such as flood risk subsidence and pollution.

Checklist

SPLIT your wish-list into essentials, desirables and definite no-nos.

Your basic needs might include number of bedrooms, size of kitchen, amount of parking and space for a dog. Then add the extra features you would love to have in an ideal world such as a guest bedroom, an office and en-suite facilities. Be prepared to compromise on some of these non-essential likes and dislikes.

Perhaps properties within your budget don't have your desired features, but try to see the potential: maybe there is room for an extension or the possibility of knocking through to attain that bigger kitchen.

Be practical. A cosy cottage may offer an appealing lifestyle but might not be spacious enough to accommodate a family with three active children. If you are buying a home you want to live in for a while, make sure there is space for the family to grow.

Viewings

FIRST and foremost, be safe. Plan the viewing carefully, in daylight hours if possible, and either take someone with you or brief a friend on where you are going and how long you should be. Take a mobile phone and note where the exits are in a house. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, leave immediately.

View as soon as possible or you could lose out. Take someone with you to viewings for an objective second opinion, so you don't let your emotions get the better of you. View properties you like several times, possibly taking a tradesman along to get an idea of how much work is needed and how much it would cost. Even from the outside you can judge whether the property is well-maintained and can compare its appearance and condition with those of nearby properties.

Since December 2007 in England and Wales, the seller must provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) with details of local authority searches, an energy performance rating and other useful information. You are entitled to a copy of that though you may be charged a nominal sum for copying and postage.

Take your checklist with you so you don't forget to ask the relevant questions. Your checklist should include: property address, estate agent, their phone number and asking price; council tax band; whether it's leasehold or freehold, and if it's the latter what's the ground rent and are any service charges payable; parking facilities; gardens, and whether they're private or shared; what aspect is it, and how much light does the house get; central heating system; what are the neighbours like; details of local schools and transport links; noise in the area; the nearest shops and other facilities; is there a chain; how quickly would the owners like to move; and any building work that has been done since the owners moved in. What about the views? Look beyond the d�cor and see the potential. See how you could make it your own. Ultimately, does it feel like your future home?

A surveyor will give an expert view on the property's condition but you can look for signs of disrepair too such as damp patches, peeling wallpaper, a musty smell, leaks and the condition of brickwork and roof tiles outside. New paint, carpets and kitchens can be signs of a superficial renovation hiding more serious work to be done so don't be afraid to ask questions. Check that taps, showers, light switches and window openings work and find out when boilers and the electrics were last tested.

Check what's included in the price such as fixtures, fittings and carpets. You can negotiate a price taking into account any repairs needed and if the seller is looking for quick sale.

Don't be afraid to question why the seller is moving. Is there something wrong with the area? Does the community feel friendly? Talk to neighbours, shopkeepers and pub landlords to find out more. Read the newspaper, use archive searches and browse community websites and those of the local council, local businesses and clubs too for more information.

View several properties, not just the one, even if you fall in love with the first house. Keep good records of what you saw and found out, and how you felt about each property. You can then compare objectively: look at the price per square foot (divide the asking price by the square footage of the rooms); property type (detached, terraced, listed?) age; area; features (number of bedrooms, conservatory, garage etc); condition, and what extra work would be needed. Compare how much the property is worth with how much neighbouring ones have been sold for by looking on the Land Registry website. And would the house be easy to sell on in the future?

General Advice

BE realistic about what you can afford to buy, and also work in additional costs such as improving the property, survey and valuation fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax, fees to arrange the mortgage and removal expenses. Check if surveyors' and solicitors' fees are still payable even if the sale falls through, and do they include VAT and expenses. Establish whether the new home would mean a big increase in running expenses, including council tax, water rates, heating and buildings and contents insurance costs. There may be re-connection costs for the gas and phone service.

Make an offer stipulating that the property is taken off the market and a SOLD sign is put outside to prevent further interest; perhaps even try to get the details taken off the estate agent's website. The seller doesn't have to agree to this but it's worth trying.

There are two types of survey: a Homebuyer Survey and Valuation is a concise report on any significant problems that could make a difference to the value of a property, mainly for conventional properties built within last 80 or so years, possibly longer, and in a reasonable condition. The more detailed Building Survey is better for more dilapidated or extensively altered properties, or if you are planning a major conversion or renovation.

Maintain good communication with the estate agent and others in the chain to keep the process running smoothly, and be flexible. For instance you may have to temporarily rent to stop the chain collapsing.

Useful websites

www.rics.org

www.suzylamplugh.org (for personal safety tips)

www.direct.gov.uk

www.landreg.gov.uk

www.ofted.gov.uk

www.environment-agency.gov.uk