a). Selling your property. Your Solicitors (Buying and Selling). This is IMPORTANT! Find one that is recommended by friends, family and so on. Get as much information as possible. After all, it is in your interest. All instructions, irrespective of what they are, should be in writing. Keep a copy for yourself. Where possible, post it through their letter box yourself. It saves postal time in both directions. The reasons for this are many. The main one should be considered. As we all from 'time to time' tend to 'forget', things end up not being done or take longer than instructed. Misunderstandings (and they DO happen!) can be avoided by putting everything in writing. Sellers: If there are other parties that have an interest in your property, be it indirectly or directly ie; a 'Trust' for example, it is your interest to declare it on the outset. You could lose a 'sale' and or 'purchase' if things are slowed down because of these other parties demands. First time buyers: If you rent accommodation and require to give notice for any period of time, make sure that everyone is informed of the time scale on the outset. After all, contracts should be exchanged and a 'date' agreed upon before you give 'notice'. Everyone has to be party to this! Chains: If a chain exists and people have not been entirely honest on the outset, you can expect things to go wrong if other parties find out. b). Buying. If you want to live in a certain area, check it out first. Things like Where are the nearest Doctors, Schools, Hospitals, Shops and so on, are all to be taken into account, especially if you have children and/or health issues. You also need to know if there are any social problems in the area. This could reflect on the resale value at a later date. 'A picture speaks a thousand words' in most cases but there are some that really cannot show the full potential of a property. Read the 'spec'. If it has what you are looking for, go see it. Take your time when viewing. If you are viewing with an agent, make sure that you have plenty of time to look around. Do not be harassed by them if they have other appointments. Buying a house is probably the biggest investment anyone makes in a life time. It should not be rushed. It is best to get shown around by the sellers where possible. This gives you a better feel of what the property has to offer and how the owner feels about his or her home. It also gives you the opportunity to see what else is available, i.e. furniture, tools and so on. Never be embarrassed to ask. Be polite and do not press the issue. Some properties may be 'under par' for one reason or another. If you are a 'handy' person and the tasks are not major, it is always worth seriously considering. That said, never ever take on something that in your 'heart of hearts' you know is too much for you. This is where people come unstuck. Best be honest with yourself at the outset and know your limitations. Some properties may need decorating. This really has nothing to do with the actual value. People are under the impression that it costs a small fortune to decorate a place. It all depends on WHAT you think should be used. It is a personal preference, ranging from simple painting to elaborate wall papering, coving and so on. In general, using the poor quality of the decor as a price reduction tactic could lose the purchase. Remember, in some cases the seller may be looking for someone that suits his or her home. It is not wise to talk about alterations on the property in front of them. Most of us love our homes and are proud of what we have achieved. It can be offensive when others start talking about knocking this out, throwing this or that away. These are things which should be kept to yourselves. After all, if the property is suitable, it would be very unwise to lose it by upsetting the seller. What to look for. Examine the roof when you approach the building, if possible. Green mould in parts may require a further examination. Also see if tiles have been replaced. If there is a lot of them, it would be wise to ask if the property is exposed to high winds and if the tiles were replaced because of wind damage. White or creamy deposits usually means that birds of one sort or another rest there from time to time. This may be a concern if there's a lot of them. Check the gutters are not leaking and in good repair. Leaking and overflowing gutters will eventually cause damp problems to surrounding timbers, so check they are in good order as it is another cause of damp. All these are easily rectified by repair, cleaning gutters or replacing if broken. Check Window frames and sills, door frames etc. Examine the Damp course (DPC) and make sure that surrounding levels are 6 inches (about 150 cm) below it. If there is concrete or flower bedding right up to it, then this will have to be dealt with if you purchase. Some properties lie lower than the main road. Make sure that the rain water is adequately drained. If there is a garage, poor drainage can be evidenced by signs of white markings on the lower walls or water stains on the floor. In bad cases, water will still be present. This can be overcome in some cases by placing a simple concrete 'ridge' or gutter across the opening and the external drains cleaned or replaced. This would need examining by your surveyor. Check for vertical cracks in the outer walls. If present, this should be examined by your surveyor. When entering the property, look for damp patches on the ceilings and joining walls. Especially in corners. These could be caused by leaking pipes or gutters being blocked/broken or external walls being breached by missing bricks and/or mortar. Check window frames and sills. Most properties suffer from condensation in varying degrees. Bad problems can be attributed to poor ventilation, excessive draughts from the windows themselves. Stained/peeling wallpaper, mould on window frames/skirting boards and damp carpets show excessive problems. Some people dry their washing on the radiators. This in itself causes quite a lot of condensation and is a bad practice, not only for damp problems, but to the radiators themselves. Bathrooms usually have a lot of condensation. Normally this can be reduced considerably by placing a good quality extractor fan in the ceiling. Check the radiators and pipes for leaks and rust. Ask if the wiring in the property has ever been replaced and when. Older properties should be brought up to code on safety issues. If the wiring is old and in bad order, then you should think carefully if the asking price does not reflect upgrading and repairs. A proper electrical report would be needed. Check what services are connected, like gas, water, electric and sewerage. Check if the plumbing has ever been replaced, especially on older properties, and if old lead pipes were removed. If lead pipes are still in use, you will have to replace them and the asking price should reflect this. Additional questions to ask. Things like 'Flooding' and 'Snow Bound' are usually not covered in a 'Search' or other documents. If you are worried about these aspects, ask your solicitor to include these questions in all the necessary documentation. In general, ask the seller if he/she wants you to keep in touch. It is far better if you deal with any issues that need attention straight away with the seller, rather than taking days for solicitors to get intouch with each other and then passing the issues to the seller. Most sellers would like to deal with minor issues and settle them quickly, themselves. That said, do not keep telephoning or visiting. Agree a time scale for keeping in touch and how one should deal with issues, fast. Some Estate agents have introduced 'Service Centers'. These are supposed to support the seller and buyer, by keeping each party informed of what stage things are at, and if there are any problems and how to deal with them. There is no need for this service, in my opinion. In general, they can not keep up-to-date with each and every sale, as customer 'base' and 'time' does not lend to this. I have experienced this first hand. I suggest, where possible, you should deal with the seller directly. It is very much faster, and one really does not want telephone calls from a 'Third Party' who may be a week or weeks 'out of date', causing unnecessary problems and worry. |