Purchasing a new home can be a welcome and rewarding experience, changing how your daily life works. For first-time home buyers, however, the excited anticipation can also come with some anxiety. There are a few ways to prepare, helping ease any anxiety when securing your new house to your move into the perfect property.
In this article from Simon Levy, you can learn more about how to prepare for moving into your first property. We will also cover how our team of experts can provide you with a wide range of property advice.
A Fresh Start
After renting, it can be a wonderful relief to move to your own home finally. A fresh start can be beneficial, often a bit further afield and into an area you’re not well-acquainted with. So, if you have a potential spot in mind, there are a few things you should consider before leaping fully.
The Area
Before fully committing to purchasing a property in a new city or area, it’s advisable to spend some time in that place. Often, it can be difficult to get a true sense of a location from a quick visit to the property alone, which can lead to some discoveries about the area that are less than preferable. For example, perhaps there isn’t the nightlife you’re after, or the public transport options are less frequent than you need them to be.
Where possible, it’s best to stay overnight as close to your potential new district is. This should give you a good idea about factors like how loud the area is during the night, as well as a chance to speak to the locals about the area without needing to rush off back to your current property.
Payments
When it comes to buying a first-time property, ensuring you have enough money to make a payment and afford a mortgage is key. Before purchasing, it’s important to be aware of all the costs that will be associated with securing homeownership.
Unlike renting, which is comparatively simple when it comes to costs, purchasing a home will have several stages and processes to become the legal owner of a property. This includes, but is not limited to, conveyancing fees, mortgage fees and valuation fees. It’s therefore recommended to seek property advice before confirming you can afford to purchase your first home.
Motivation
Understanding your motivation before moving out of your previous property is important to finding the perfect new home. Many couples move into their first property to make space for their burgeoning family, requiring more space than before. Other new homeowners might be looking to get on the property ladder for the first time, eager to stop renting.
By figuring out what you’re after specifically, you can create a realistic budget as well as a better understanding of your non-negotiables. These criteria will help you to narrow down any potential homes until you find the right one.
Planning for the Future
When purchasing a new home, it can be tempting to only look for homes that are suitable for your needs currently. While this is a great option if you’re looking to move after a few years, many homeowners are seeking homes for a longer period. If you fit into the latter category, it’s vital to choose a home that will serve you throughout the next stages of your life.
If you’re planning to take big steps in the next few years of your life, think reasonably about what that may entail for your next home. Planning for a new baby, for example, will require an extra bedroom, acting as a nursery in the first stages of your child’s life. Similarly, if you’d like to buy or adopt a dog, choose a home with a suitably sized garden, ready for this new stage.
Before You Move In
Once you have secured your new property, it’s a good idea to organise the home before you move in. Within this section, you can easily find out how you should prepare your first home for moving in, from buying the right furniture to organising a full-house survey.
Knowing What to Buy
It’s rare to be fully prepared for a new home with your existing belongings, so you may need to purchase new furniture. Once you have secured your property, it is wise to make a budget for your new items. This will help you stick to a strict schedule, as well as organising delivery directly to your new home. Buying new items can also make your house function better for you, making it vital to plan sensibly for your new home.
Packing Sensibly
When preparing to move, there are some recommendations for how to pack your items to move into your first home. Any boxing of items should be done in order of importance, from least to most used, helping you easily access the items you need on the other side. This is especially important when moving with small children or pets, who require extra belongings to be accessible at all times.
Defect Diagnosis
When it comes to large issues in a property, such as water damage and infestations, these aren’t always immediately obvious. Hidden defects can often lead to further issues, even including the collapse of your new property. Health issues, such as asthma, can also be worsened by dampness and spores, often symptomatic of integral defects. It’s recommended to hire a legal representative's assistance to analyse the property's condition.
Some potential defects you ought to look for include:
- Structural movements
- Dampness
- Mould growth
- Distorted walls
- Condensation
- Sound penetration
It’s important to check whether defects are present before moving everyone in, as serious problems can require major repairs. Construction can be disturbing to home life, particularly with young children and pets, especially when the project is intrusive and invasive. Catch issues early with a defect diagnosis, performed by a property advice team.
Later Problems
Unfortunately, issues can arise following your move. Whether it’s a week or a year later, dealing with any problems needs to be done quickly. In this section, you can find out why you should seek the assistance of professional building surveyors in the event of a problem in your new home.
Neighbour Disputes
After moving in, you may have the opportunity to welcome new neighbours. Hopefully, your new neighbours will be polite and respectful, however, there are some circumstances where the people next door become an issue. Noise will largely be heard through walls adjoining the two properties, known as a party wall. There are some instances where either you or your neighbours will want to make adjustments to the wall, which can lead to large and unpleasant disputes.
Party wall disputes can be messy and complex, which is why you should contact expert surveyors as soon as possible. They can help to resolve these issues as soon as possible, obtaining a fair resolution about any matters.
Planning Permission
Looking to buy a home that needs fixing up? Houses that require construction projects are a great way to achieve your dream home, through contract work. Before any adjustments or site adaptations can be made, it’s vital to get planning permission.
To obtain approval for any construction projects, seek planning application advice from professional building surveyors. Experienced experts can be instrumental, equipped to assist with even the most complex of permission appeals.
Our Services
If you’re looking to move into your first home, our team at Simon Levy would be happy to help. We offer
professional services related to the surveyance of buildings, helping new and experienced homeowners get accustomed to their new property. This section will briefly explain some of our most popular services for homeowners.
Our
full-house surveys are designed to help property owners understand their building fully, helping to navigate and address any major issues early on. With our experienced property advice, you can fully prepare for the work your house might need, preventing unexpected costs from cropping up.
If you’ve discovered a serious defect in your home, our team of experts can be on hand to help here too. We offer a
defect diagnosis service, determining what the cause of the problem is. From mould to structural movement, it’s vital to address problems quickly and smoothly.
As mentioned in this article, neighbours can be an unexpected problem. Thankfully, our team at Simon Levy can help you successfully obtain the
planning permission you need, as well as helping you resolve any disputes over shared boundaries, such as
party walls. Don’t let bothersome neighbours ruin your dream property!
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past projects.
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