1
Money talk
Save for a deposit and speak to a mortgage advisor to find out how much you can borrow and apply for a mortgage agreement in principle
2
Research your area
Once you know what you can afford, it’s time to start researching to find the area you’d like to live in
3
Register with estate agents
Create an account with us online to receive regular email updates on the latest properties for sale in your preferred area
4
Contact a member of our team
Our experienced, friendly team will be happy to chat to you about what kind of house you’re looking for, and will also be able to advise you on current market conditions
5
Sell your existing property
If you have a house to sell, now is the time to get it on the market as often you’ll need to have your own house sale agreed before a seller will accept your offer on a new house
6
Arrange viewings
When something comes onto the market that we think you’ll like, we’ll let you know quickly and liaise with the seller to agree a suitable time for you to view
7
Make an offer
Once we’ve found the right home for you, we’ll make the offer to the seller and negotiate on your behalf, and will stay in regular contact with you to let you know how things are progressing
8
Apply for a mortgage
Once your offer has been accepted, it’s time to apply for your mortgage; your advisor will be able to help you decide what type is best for you, for example a fixed rate mortgage or a tracker, and how long you want to spend paying it off
9
Appoint a solicitor
We recommend choosing a solicitor who specialises in conveyance or property and who is based in the area you are moving to, as local knowledge will be helpful during the completion process
10
Research removal companies
If you don’t have a lot of furniture you could hire a van yourself, but if you have a lot of belongings to move then we recommend using a reliable removal company, who will make the process a lot easier
11
Arrange home insurance
You must have buildings insurance in place as soon as you exchange contracts, because you are legally bound to buy the property at this point, and should anything happen to the property before completion, you would need a policy in place to cover it
12
Exchange contracts
This happens when the buyer and seller’s legal representation swap the signed contracts, and the buyer pays the deposit
13
Time to move in
Completion of the deal usually takes place around two weeks after the contracts are exchanged, and on completion day the money will be transferred to the seller from your bank, which means you can collect the keys from your estate agent and move in!
