Buying a house is possibly the biggest financial commitment you will ever take on and it is thus essential that you find the right house in the right location before parting with your hard earned cash. Many people know their perfect house as soon as they see it, however it can take months to find a property that feels right so take the time to browse and view as many houses as it takes.

Finding your perfect house
You will probably have a good idea of what kind of house you are looking for when you start to trawl the newspapers, estate agent's windows and the internet. However you must be willing to compromise if you have a set budget in mind. Unfortunately house prices continue to rise and so you may not get as much for your money as you want. Therefore it may be beneficial to make a list of the essentials that your house and the local area must have, and a second list of what you would like to be included as extras.

Most estate agents today will look at your requirements and match them to the properties they have on their books and if nothing is suitable they can let you know when new houses come on the market. It is possible to buy a house without the services of an estate agent thereby saving you money, however the estate agent generally acts as a mediator between you and the seller and this can take a lot of the stress out of buying a house.

If you see a house you like then you should ask to view it as soon as possible, especially if it is in a popular area or if it is at the lower end of the price scale. Make sure you know a bit about the local area before deciding anything and check for the public facilities that you may need when you move in, e.g. schools, doctors, dentists, public transport links, shops etc. You can also check the local crime rates on the internet and see if any serious crimes have occurred in the last few years.

Putting in an offer
When you find a house that has everything you want at a price you can afford then you can put in a formal offer. This is normally done through the estate agent and most sellers will either accept or decline the offer straight away. It may be worth getting a mortgage in principle before making an offer as you may be disappointed if your offer is accepted only to find out later that you can't get a mortgage to pay for it.

Most estate agents have a financial advisor associated with them and this is another service that may be worth taking advantage of. They can research the available mortgages and choose the one that is best for you and your individual circumstances, plus they will arrange everything for you and all you have to do is sign on the dotted line! You will also need a solicitor to conduct all the relevant searches and surveys and although they can be expensive their services are a must. In fact between the three of them, the estate agent, the financial advisor and the solicitor should do pretty much everything for you and all you have to do is sign the contracts and, of course, pay for their services.

Hidden costs of buying a house
Many house buyers and especially first time buyers are surprised at the hidden costs of buying a house and most people start their life in their new homes paying off the debts they incurred when buying it. In addition to the mortgage there are expenses such as stamp duty which currently works out at 1% of the purchase price for houses valued at between £60,000 and £250,000 and 3% for houses over £250,000. There is also the valuation which can cost up to £150 and the survey which comes in at around £300 for a basic survey and anything up to £800 should you require a full structural survey. Next comes the conveyancing costs which include local authority and Land Registry searches and anything else that the mortgage lender may require to authorise the lending of the money. All together these costs and fees could amount to many thousands of pounds depending on the price of the property that you're buying, and so you will need to include these in your budget.

Once you have completed the purchase, you may still find that you need some extra cash for things such as the removal van, the cost of new locks on the doors, a storage unit for things you're not sure you want to keep but don't particularly want to get rid of, and any urgent repairs that need doing to the house. A lot of buyers neglect these small but significant costs and find themselves borrowing extra to pay the unexpected bills. It pays to have a reserve fund that you can dip into when such extras come up.

Conclusion
Buying a house can be a very stressful time. However by using the available services of estate agents and qualified financial advisors a lot of the stress and worry can be taken away, leaving you free to plan your big move and focus on the important things like buying curtains and deciding where all the furniture is going to go! By having adequate funds in the bank to pay for all the hidden costs you can be sure that money isn't going to be a problem as these occur. Once in your new house you'll soon forget all the worry and chaos that got you there and you can enjoy the experience of making your house into a home.


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Classified Ad Results  ( 1 to 14 of 14 ads found )
26 June 2009
* traditional * refurbished * lounge * dining room/family room * breakfast kitchen * three bedrooms * large lawned garden * off road parking 34 gilbanks road is a superb three bedroom semi detached property located in a quiet cul-de-sac in this popul. .
£129,000
DY1
24 June 2009
This beautiful victorian house is set in winthorpe village, 3miles from newark town centre and minutes away from a1 and a46. ,the house has undergone substantial improvements together with a full re-fit applied to the shop. upstairs; the house comprises; 3 bedrooms, bat. .
£360,000
NG24
16 June 2009
Detached cottage, 4 bedrooms, with boarding cattery licensed for 30 cats. fab listed. in 2/3 acre, quiet rural location but near to malvern, bromyard and worcester. http://www. hayes. gb. com/property/residential/for-sale/suckley/worcestershire/hsl805. aspx .
£410,000
WR6
11 June 2009
Set within this pleasant cul-de-sac of the detached properties, a tastefully presented three bedroom detached residence providing a gas central heating system together with sealed unit double glazing, gardens to the front and rear and single garage. the property would . .
£175,000
TS17
08 June 2009
We offer you 2 storey house between 2 large fishing lakes! for more info and photos please visit :http://cgi. ebay. co. uk/ws/ebayisapi. dll?viewitem&sspagename=strk:meselx:it&item=280353829880 .
£99
EC2R
24 May 2009
2 bed mobile chalet home with 6 acres of land with residential planning please contact 01746 861376 for more info .
WV16
11 May 2009
Would you like to beat the property market standstill and move to a buoyant ne seaside location? try this for size: edwardian cottage style 2 bed (could be converted to 3 bed) semi-detached house for sale having small gardens front & rear in a convenient & popu. .
NE25
01 May 2009
4 bedroomed det house with complete self contained 2 bed annex to the side,front door leading to communual hall which leads to seperate front doors, in cliffsend village. house. 4 bedrooms, master having hidden en-suite, downstairs cloakroom, very large kitchen. .
£449,995
CT12
30 April 2009
Live all year round in this private and quiet freehold home on the bryn gynog residential park in conwy, north wales, uk (this is not a caravanning/campsite but a fully developed permanent residential park) situated in the conwy valley with just a five minute walk to. .
£110,000
LL32
26 April 2009
Ref. no: ch01. £12000. charming 3-bedroom country house (1300 square feet) with basement and yard (32,000 square feet) for sale in the village of iskar (population 700), bulgaria (part of the european union). great for relaxing in a rural atmosphere or agricultur. .
£12,000
W2
Ref. no: ch02. £9300. charming 3-bedroom country house (1300 square feet) with basement and yard (8,500 square feet) for sale in the village of barkach (population 700), bulgaria (part of the european union). great for relaxing in a rural atmosphere or agricultur. .
£9,300
W2
For sale is out recently refurbished 4 floor terraced house. it has 3 double bedrooms, including an unsually large attic bedroom. it has a new kitchen & bathroom, new gas central heating system, cellar, frontcourt, garden at rear with shed. no chain involved! ideal. .
£95,000
S74
18 April 2009
This dwelling house is believed to date back to the 15th century. it is an old timber frame which is attractively reflected in the interior. it is located in the small hamlet of bush bank, which is approximately mid-way between hereford and leominster. the property sta. .
£375,000
HR4
11 April 2009
In need of complete modernisation. in the agents opinion this property is situated in a superb location overlooking the river glen and offers huge potential for a variety of buyers. for families it offers deceptive and spacious accommodation, with double garage and lar. .
£145,000
PE11
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