Keller Williams UK
Questions to ask when viewing an Essex home

Questions to ask when viewing an Essex home

Subjects to consider when viewing a house

 

When you enquire about viewing a property, the selling agent should be evaluating your position to purchase. Good agents will also understand your requirements to help source other homes if the specific house is not suitable.

Buying a home involves the buyer as much as the seller, so you need to undertake your own research. It can be challenging to know what you must ask. Here, we have outlined a few example questions that you can ask the selling agent.

 

Why has the seller decided to sell now?

By asking the agent why the seller is moving, it is possible to learn valuable information that can help determine your bid. Knowing if the owners may go into repossession or if they’ve retired after paying off the home can assist you in understanding the urgency of the sellers to sell their Essex home. 

 

Have you had any other offers?

Remember that you are not merely negotiating with the seller for a particular price. Instead, you are essentially competing with other potential buyers. Thus, knowing what you are up against can be really useful. 

 

Does the property have special ownership costs?

Ask the agent regarding the expenses associated with the property ownership. Understand the extra costs included to make an informed choice. 

 

Has there been previous survey issues?

The property could have been sold before and experienced mortgage survey issues. Finding this out before negotiating a price is highly advised; otherwise, you could find a similar problem yourselves and save money and valuable time. 

 

Are the sellers in a chain?

Find out not only if the seller has found a property to buy connected to your transaction but how many other people are involved. A large chain could be off-putting with no chances of withdrawals, so this could impact the price you are prepared to pay

 

Do the sellers have an AIP?

Your financial position will be checked and verified as part of the selling agent service, but what about you verifying the seller? What happens if they do not get their mortgage? Your purchase would fall apart. So let’s get this checked early.

 

What furniture and appliances are being sold with the house?

A seller tends to incorporate their major appliances, including the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher, with the home most of the time. However, this does not always hold

true. If you do not own any of these items, it is best to learn if they are incorporated in the purchase price. 

If you would like us to handle the negotiation process to reduce the house purchase price and verify the seller, contact us 01277 564002 or email [email protected]

 

value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home

Home Ownership In Essex? Answer These 4 Questions to Find Out

Home Ownership In Essex? Answer These 4 Questions to Find Out

Essex Home Ownership

Is It Time To Buy A Property in Essex? 

 

Are you considering finding an Essex property that has a large and roomy living space? Alternatively, you may be looking to enjoy the fantastic experience of being a homeowner and enhancing your overall net worth. Here are a few questions that can assist you in answering if purchasing a house is a good option for you.

 

Can You Afford To Purchase A Home?

Firstly, financial consideration is a crucial aspect before you make any decision. Needless to say, buying a home involves considerable financial investment. Essentially, you will be looking at handling monthly mortgage payments for several years. Thankfully, owning a home is more affordable than you may have guessed. In case you are already renting a home consistently, you are almost there.

 

Do You Have Your Deposit Saved Up For Home Ownership?

If you are confident about your monthly payments, the next step involves saving adequate money to handle your deposit. This is practically a lump-sum investment made when purchasing a home. Everything else is handled by your mortgage lender, and you can pay them back eventually. Usually, deposit involves about 20 percent of the cost of the house. However, this value can be dropped further through assistance programs.

 

Do You Know What Type Of Home You Need?

After the financial aspects are taken care of, the next step involves determining the type of home you require. If you are a single young professional, you can pick a flat or an apartment and eventually upgrade your residence. On the other hand, you could also opt for something that has a backyard and is pet-friendly.

 

Are You Ready To Set Down Some Roots?

Lastly, it is crucial to determine if you are willing to invest emotionally and physically in your local community. Are you sure that you have a stable career and you won’t move for a while? Is your partner or spouse on the same page? Do you have children, or do you plan on having children eventually? Answering all these questions will help you pick the right neighbourhood.

Once you are ready, you can get in touch with our professional team, and they will help you find the perfect home. If you want to learn more regarding purchasing in our area and looking at ideal homes for first-time buyers, contact us today on 01277 564022 or email [email protected].

value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home

How to Purchase a New Home in a Hot Essex Housing Market? These 4 Tips Will Help You Succeed

How to Purchase a New Home in a Hot Essex Housing Market? These 4 Tips Will Help You Succeed

Buying a New House in a Competitive Essex Market? These 4 suggestions Will Help You Succeed

 

If you are in the market for a new house and dealing with a buyer’s market, it can be straightforward to find and buy a lovely home. On the other hand, if you are looking for a house when the market is hot, you will most likely deal with bidding wars and may lose your dream home to another buyer. We have outlined four tips that will assist you in succeeding during your house-hunting quest in a hot local market.

 

Tip #1: Do Your Research Ahead Of Time

Moving quickly is crucial in a hot market. If you ensure that you do your research before beginning the process, it will give you an edge later, particularly after finding the perfect dream home. Ask your estate agent as to what paperwork, as well as other material, will be required. I advise pre-selecting a solicitor and a surveyor if you wish to purchase a home buyers survey.

 

Tip #2: Get A Mortgage Pre-approval

After finding your dream home, you may eventually learn that several other buyers want to purchase the same house and have submitted bids. Then, you need to demonstrate that your mortgage financing has been pre-approved. Note that the seller would want to complete their sale as soon as possible and for a reasonable price. Therefore, pre-approved mortgage financing will help prove that you are keen on making a good purchase. Make sure you have your AIP/DIP ready to show the agent handling the sale.

 

Tip #3: Be Ready To Pounce (But Don’t Be Hasty!)

When it comes to being serious, it is also essential for you to remain prepped to go after the right listing. In a hot market, there will be many buyers. Needless to say, finding the right house and then losing the opportunity to seal the deal due to unnecessary delays can be heartbreaking.

 

Tip #4: Small Sacrifices Are Okay

Lastly, securing the deal may sometimes involve making small sacrifices. For instance, the seller might integrate specific special terms into the agreement. Moreover, some may even ask you to handle a few of the completion costs. Regardless of the scenario, remember that your leverage is slightly lost in a hot market. Hence, a small sacrifice is acceptable in such cases. 

Purchasing a house in a hot market can be particularly challenging. However, with some amount of preparation, you can become the winning bidder.

If you are all set to purchase your next home, contact our professional team. We can offer to negotiate on your behalf to give you a distinct advantage. Click here to choose your local estate agent

value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home

To Stay or to Go: Should You Hang Around During Your Essex House Viewings?

To Stay or to Go: Should You Hang Around During Your Essex House Viewings?

To Stay or to Go: Should You Be Present At Your Essex Home Viewings?

 

Do you have plans of listing your home for sale? The experience of inviting strangers to look at your home can either be fun or absolutely dreadful. However, it is a critical part of the selling process. Hence, the next question is whether you must stick around or disappear when potential buyers visit your home? Here are some of the options.

What do viewers want?

 

From my own experience, I would be confident that 90% of buyers prefer a viewing accompanied by an estate agent. This gives the buyer the freedom to relax without possibly offending a seller and asking multiple questions. Of course, the agent must be of a high standard to answer any questions a buyer may have.

 

Skills of the agent

 

If you have hired a world-class estate agent, they will use the viewing to figure out key signals. By listening to significant phrases and body language, a great estate agent can determine the level of interest without being told outright by the buyer.

 

Value for money

 

You hired an agent to produce the best end result – the highest-priced, smoothest sale. So let them do their job. If an agent is happy for you to conduct viewings, I would question their value.

Clearly, there are advantages as well as disadvantages associated with staying at home during viewings. In case you are willing to sell your home, get in touch with us today.

Our professional estate agent team will be more than happy to meet with you, discuss various alternatives, and explain how you can get your home listed in a way that fetches best possible price. Click here to meet your nearest estate agent

value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home

5 Tips When Looking for Essex Homes for Sale

5 Tips When Looking for Essex Homes for Sale

5 Tips When Looking for Homes for Sale

 

This is the perfect time to purchase, as the market in  is robust, while interest rates are still low. We have outlined a few tips to simplify buying a house for both first-time sellers and seasoned professionals.

1. Seek Assistance

You will only have a choice of between 1-4% of homes advertised for sale. Seek the assistance of a professional buyer agent to help evaluate the available homes but more importantly, contact the off-market homes that fit your requirements. So you can find the perfect house for your family.

 

2. Begin the Process Today

It can take several months to find the perfect house, particularly if you are looking for one in a competitive market. Throughout the process, you have to be patient, as the final outcome is typically more satisfactory if you are thorough with your search.

 

3. Never Settle for the Place that You See First

The process of looking for a house can be very emotional. Suppose you think you have found the perfect home for you. In that case, we recommend consulting your estate agent and going through your entire housing checklist before you place a bid.

 

4. Look at the Pros and Cons

A few improvements are required for most of the properties. In fact, even houses that are brand new require modifications such as landscaping. Today, sellers are exceptionally savvy and make minimal changes on a superficial level to attract the attention of buyers. Hence, you must carefully gauge the amount it would cost to make all the required changes. If you are willing to purchase a house that requires substantial work, you can place your bid accordingly.

 

5. Ensure That Your Financing is in Order

If your finances are in order, the process of buying  homes for sale becomes a lot easier as you understand your affordability. Once you have enough for a deposit, get in touch with us, so we can place you with the best mortgage broker to find the perfect mortgage product for your situation.  

If you seek a professional estate agent to assist you in finding your perfect home, get in touch with us at [email protected] and 01277 564022, or simply book here


value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home

Buying a New Essex Home? Make Your Move Easier With These Three Tips

Buying a New Essex Home? Make Your Move Easier With These Three Tips

Essex Boot Sale

Buying a New Essex House? Get Organised With These Three Tips

Are you looking to purchase a new house or apartment? Although this is an exciting idea, packing everything up and moving can be a daunting task. This article will provide three tips to eliminate old and unnecessary items, which will make the process of moving into a new home simpler.

 

Sort Everything That You Don’t Need

Firstly, sort every item you own. Usually, families sort out the important items in each room and separate them from everything else. Initially, this process can be swift since several things can be easily thrown out. Eventually, you will come across a few old keepsakes, and you will find them harder to let go of. Lastly, make sure that you only save what is actually essential and discard the rest.  

 

Host A (Virtual) Yard Sale And Consider Consignment

Once everything is sorted, consider hosting a drive sale. On a cool Saturday morning, you can place all you want to sell on your lawn and inform your neighbourhood about it with clear signage. You can also do this virtually, using the web and app-based classifieds, such as eBay, or even a boot sale.

 

Donate Everything Else

Does your home still have things left? Then, you can give away the rest of the clothing, furniture, or appliances to your local charity. Several charitable organisations offer to come and pick up such items. Thus, you need not carry them all the way and drop them off. Get in touch with a charity of choice and check whether they accept donations. In case they do not, check if they can refer you to any other local organisation.

Getting rid of your older or unwanted items is a great way to make sure that the process of moving becomes more leisurely. 

If you are in the market looking for a new home or want further information regarding property opportunities in the local area, get in touch with us today. Our professional team will be glad to assist you.

value my home
Book a Valuation

Find out what your home is worth

Value My Home