Finding A Property

I am buying to let. What will the property search company do?

The property search company will help a buyer to let clients in the following way. First, they will go into the market and they will produce a range of properties which seem appropriate for the budget and the kind of brief that the client has produced. They will present those to the client, and they should be investigating, of course, the likely rental income that will be achieved from those properties. However, markets do go up and markets do go down. So it's hard for the property search company to guarantee what sort of rental income will be achieved. But, the property search company will be taking a very, very hard look at what developers say about the rental income that could be achieved.

I want a rural property. What will the property search company do?

When you're looking for a rural property, a property search company will basically split what they do into four areas. First, they will corral all the properties in that particular rural location and bring them together. They will throw out the stuff which may be blighted, is too expensive, is inappropriate, is not right for the client's brief. Having done that, they will then bring the client down and will take them around, usually on a tour. First off, there's a tour day to have a look at the local area, and then as you go on, you'll look more specifically at individual properties. When you find a property that is liked, really liked, then the client will be brought down for a second, maybe a third, maybe a fourth, even fifth viewing to make sure this is the house that the client really wants. Then there is a process of appraisal. Often that means going to the planners. What's going to happen with that field next door to the garden? Is it likely to be developed? These are the kinds of questions that should be asked. Also, if they're going to be renovating or expanding the property, what sort of cost is going to be incurred in doing that? And again, talking to the planners to see whether that's gong to be possible. All of this information is then brought together so that the client knows what that property is worth to them, so that then, negotiations are entered into against the state agent, against the vendor of that rural property so that the best price is achieved. Once an offer has been accepted, then the conveyancing process starts, and with rural properties, there are often many confusing aspects of the conveyancing process. Access can be an issue, foot paths can be an issue, boundaries can be an issue, and we'll be on the ground helping the surveyor with that process, so that when title is taken, the client is sure of what they're buying.

I want to work from home. What will the property search company do?

When you're looking to work from home, there are a number of issues that a property search agency will be looking at. The important thing is that it is actually possible to work from home. This may often mean a trip to the planners to find out whether it is going to be possible. Often that will depend on the amount of vehicle movements and the amount of visitors to the property. If someone is working from a home office, from home, then it's probably is going to be okay but best chat with the planners. However, if it is a more labor intensive business with deliveries and with people coming back and forth, then permission will need to be sought, and it's important to get that in place before you have your hands on the property.

I am a keen gardener. What will the property search company do?

If you're a keen gardener and you're looking for a property, a property search agency or company will be looking at it from a number of different angles. First, are you actually looking for a material garden? Is it something that you can walk into, and you can expand, and you can conserve and maintain, and look after the labor of love that someone might have put into the propety before? Or is it actually a blank canvas that you're looking for? Is it a place where you can create your own garden? These are two different ideas; two different briefs. And we will be taking on at the very start of the search process what it is the key gardener is looking for and then matching it to the market.

I am moving out after the break up of a relationship. What will the property search company do?

I think the most important piece of advice that we all give clients who are moving out after the break up of a relationship is to look at how you want to live afresh and anew. Don't try and recreate what you had before. You're probably not going to have as much money and not as much capitol to invest in the property anyway, so you're going to have to be looking afresh. Use this opportunity for a fresh start. That's the most important thing.

I want a property to renovate. What will the property search company do?

We often have clients who are looking for properties to renovate, and the trouble is that there are so many other people out there who are also looking for properties to renovate. One of the first things that we often say to people is that there is a premium attached to properties which enable renovation; we can find them, but they sometimes come with a premium. A crucial aspect of looking at renovation property is working out if you are going to be able to do what you want to do to it. That requires getting architects in, getting builders in, and talking to the planners, often before an offer is made on the property. If you're going to renovate a property, you want to know that you can do what you want to it, and you need to know how much it is going to cost you.

I am downsizing after retiring. What will the property search company do?

As a property search company, one of the first bits of advice that we will give our clients who are looking to downsize is don't try to recreate in a smaller scale what you had before. Actually, that's a shame, because in downsizing you have an opportunity to do something completely new. Perhaps, look at an entirely different sort of building. You might have lived in an old period property before downsizing, but now a new bungalow is going to suit you. The second thing when downsizing is to make sure that you buy in an area where you're connected to your friends and your family. Don't lose sight of that.

I need a home for my growing family. What will the property search company do ?

The first thing a property search company should do when looking at a house for an expanding family is to ask them how long they're looking to live in a particular place. Are they looking to buy a house which is going to accommodate the family at this time, which they might stay in for five years? Or are they looking for a family house in which they wish to live for the entire upbringing of their children? If they're looking to do that, the second, then they need to buy a property which is going to accommodate their children and their expanding family as it grows. Now, are they going to going to buy a house which has enough space for them to grow into or are they going to buy a house which they can extend? If they want to extend the house, they have to make sure that they can get planning permission to do that extension.

What should I be prepared to compromise on when looking for a house?

When buying a house, usually, a compromise has to be made somewhere along the line. Often, we find the perfect home for our clients, but usually, there is some aspect of the house that is better than was expected. But against that, there is some aspect which is poorer than expected, a compromise. Sometimes a house is bigger, but not quite in the right position. The one thing I would really advise people not to compromise with is blight. Main roads, pylons, aircraft noise, that kind of thing, really should be avoided.

How will my property search company present their findings?

Property search companies will communicate with their clients in a variety of different ways. Particulars will be sent through, either by post, or by email increasingly. Photographs can be taken and emailed across. But the most important method of communication, is my mind, is the telephone. We want to talk to people as often as we can.