Finding a property

It is a really good idea to make a shortlist of your most important requirements early on in the process when finding a property. If you are buying a property with another person, make sure you agree on what those priorities are!

At some point, there will likely be a need to compromise on at least one of your priorities. This could be due to budget or other constraints. So it is worth working out which ones are essential, and which are ‘nice-to-have’.

Some examples might be inclusion of a garage, a garden, parking arrangements, local schools, public transport routes, number of bedrooms, age of property, and whether it is detached, semi detached or terraced. Regarding location, how far from your desired location are you prepared to go? Are you looking for a property you can move straight into or are you happy with a project?

We recommend listing out all of the items that you consider important when finding a property. From here you can rank them in order of importance. This can then act as your personal checklist when searching for a property.

This is a really good starting point for your discussions with estate agents. The clearer you can be with them regarding what you are looking for, the better they will be able to assist you with your search.