9 Questions to Ask When Buying A House in Leeds

First Time Buyer Mortgage Advice in Leeds

First time buyers in Leeds like yourself can sometimes find the entire homebuyer experience to be stressful. It doesn’t have to be that way. To help you make the most of your subsequent house viewing and be as prepared as possible, we’ve put together a list of nine common questions to ask when considering enquiring on a property.

The 9 most common questions:

1. How much interest has there been in the property/development?

There is nothing wrong with sitting down and thinking about whether or not you wish to buy a property before committing to it. It’s understandable, as it is one of, if not the most significant financial commitment in your life.

Finding out how many people have viewed or enquired about the same property can give you a more accurate gauge of how much ‘thinking’ time you have before making a definitive decision. Additionally, if the property receives much interest, you need to be prepared to have a final answer sooner rather than later.

2. Is there a property chain?

If the property is part of a chain, it can significantly impact some areas of your mortgage process.

If there is no onward chain, you will likely be able to move quickly, especially if you are not part of a chain yourself. In addition, if there is no need to sell your property first, you will have more advantage as a buyer because you will not hold up the home buying process.

Make sure you use this tactic when negotiating a price.

3. What comes with the sale?

Unless you are not buying a new build property, some previous homeowners like to leave items behind to save on costs, which could work in your favour. These can include and not limited to a washing machine, fridge, freezer, or typically a shed if the property has a garden.

If the appliances work, it’s perfect for new buyers saving a bit of cash until they get something new and modern, though if you don’t want or need these items, you will have to factor in disposing of them.

However, if you buy a new build property, there might be optional extras you can purchase brand new and ready for you on your moving day.

4. Are the neighbours friendly?

When moving into an area that you are not particularly familiar with, it’s worth finding out what the neighbours are like, as a good or bad neighbour experience can frequently make or break your experience of living in the property.

However, if you opt to move to new homes, you and your neighbours will create the community, which can also be a risk initially as you don’t know what they will be like. Of course, first impressions are not everything, but it’s always handy to get on with neighbours as you both will be presumably living there for a while.

5. How much does it cost to run?

Running costs can depend on the property location in Leeds. Therefore, it pays to research and asks the right questions. For example, find out how much the Council Tax is and the average spend on utilities by asking the seller or researching online. Having this information is handy to help you budget for each property accordingly.

6. Which way does the house face?

Suppose you like relaxing in the garden in late summer evenings or reading books in natural light—the direction the house faces can make such a significant difference. However, some location can sometimes pay a more premium price for a south-facing garden as they receive the most sun throughout the day.

7. After moving in, how much work will be needed?

Again, this is something that can have a significant impact on your budget. Therefore, some essential things to find out information about are:

🏠 Making sure the property is energy efficient.
🏠 Sorting any damping issues (if any).
🏠 Changing the furnishing.

8. Are you open to offers?

Negotiating on a property price is a pretty standard part of the house-buying process. Therefore, it’s essential to be as prepared as possible to make an offer on a property that you like. You can learn more about improving negotiating on a property price and being one step ahead here.

It is also worth chatting with the seller or estate agent to determine what the seller of the home you are after may consider being too low or too high. Find out if any other offers have been made and rejected before your bid.

9. When can we move in?

By setting a date in your diary, you can plan your other jobs, such as instructing a conveyancing solicitor, packing your belongings and arranging a removal van to bring your belongings to the new property.

Moving Home Mortgage Advice in Leeds