If you’re keen to get into a new home before Christmas then don’t panic – take a look at our guide on buying and moving amid the pre-Christmas rush. Here we give you our top tips for finding and completing on a property before the festivities start.
- Narrow down your search – if you’ve not already, think seriously about what you need from your next property. What location do you want – city, town, village, countryside – and think about your needs over the next few years. Do you want to downsize or do you need space for a growing family? Are you looking for a renovation property or somewhere that you can move into without lifting a finger? Do you want a garden, garage or workshop? The more you have a clear idea of what you want and need from your next property, the easier it will be to find the right home and move quickly on it.
- Get your funding in place – if you are buying with a mortgage then be sure you’ve spoken to your lender and have completed all of the required paperwork and checks. It’s important to know your budget and be sure you have secured, in writing, your mortgage offer (also known as a Decision in Principal (DIP) or Agreement in Principal (AIP)). That way agents and sellers will know that you’re serious about moving and are in a position to move quickly.
- Speak to your local estate agents – once you know the areas you’re interested in and have your finance in place then contact your local agents to discuss your property search and let them know that you want to move quickly. Give them clear guidance on your budget and the type of property you are looking for. Keep in regular contact with your agent and ask them to let you know about any suitable new properties coming onto the market. You’ll find that some agents are more proactive than others, so don’t forget to stress that you are keen to move before Christmas and get proactive agents working for you.
- Speak to your solicitor – It’s important to let your solicitor know about the timescales that you’re aiming for so that they can work with you to achieve the completion date that you want. Discuss your plans with them as soon as possible and be sure to keep in touch with them to ensure that any delays are picked up quickly and timings stay on track.
- Consider the extra costs – don’t get caught out with additional costs that you haven’t budgeted for, especially in the run up to Christmas. If you have a budget of £300,000 for example, then does that need to include all of the additional costs such as moving costs, solicitors fees and the land transaction tax (LTT)? If so, then you’ll need to consider these expenses when looking at properties. Your estate agent will be able to advise on approximate costs so that you can budget accordingly and avoid getting caught out on additional costs that could hamper a quick completion. A quick note also worth bearing in mind is that if you’re buying a second/additional home then the land transaction tax is higher on second properties – you can find out more in this blog.
- Sales progression – some agents, such as us, offer a Sales Progression service as part of our package. This is designed to ensure that all of the different elements of a sale – such as local searches, money laundering checks, surveys and so on – are kept on track to meet the desired completion day. Without this service a sale can take significantly longer – for example our sales complete, on average, in 12 weeks, compared to the national average of 16 weeks. Some sales complete even faster than 12 weeks, thanks to the Sales Progression team chasing all of the relevant parties to get the paperwork in place and finalised.
- Plan your move – if you’re going to need movers then be sure to book them well in advance. Normally the run up to Christmas is quieter than other times, but once you’ve had an offer agreed and the paperwork is all progressing, be sure to get quotes and your mover booked in.
If you’re keen to move before Christmas there’s no reason why you can’t! Get in touch with us to find out how we can help you, and browse through our current properties on this website.