Find a new home
It's all too easy to get carried away when you're looking for a new home, looking beyond what you really need, to what you can really afford. Although our emotions can't help but play a big part, it's important to use your head and be realistic. However, it doesn't hurt to dream and you may just be surprised to find that your new home does include that hot tub you've always longed for!
The first priority is to decide what you really need from your new home. Imagine you are renting and what you'd be looking for as a minimum. It could be as simple as a bedroom for you and each of the kids, a kitchen large enough to eat in, a big enough garden for the kids and dog to run around in and off-street parking.
Then list the features you'd ideally have: a spare guest room with en-suite, an office, a double garage and a state-of-the-art kitchen and so on.
Firstly, start looking at properties within your budget and how they fit or could be adapted to your needs or ideals. Is there a separate outbuilding for example that you could convert into that much wanted office? Is there a surplus utility room you could knock through to create a bigger kitchen? Keep a broad mind and look at all the options. Unless you have hundreds of thousands of pounds to spare, you may find you have to compromise on certain aspects. In fact around 25% of buyers change their mind about what they want once they start looking at properties!
As part of deciding what type of home you're looking for, you may want to think about types of property that you love or want to rule out. Keep an open mind as you may end up being guided by your requirements. For example, if you need to accommodate an elderly person who can't manage stairs, a bungalow may turn out to be the only option. You may find that, in reality, what seems like a dream type of property actually turns out to be completely impractical, and that quaint, old, beamed cottage that seems so idyllic, simply doesn't offer the size of rooms that a more modern house does.
Buying a newly built home
Think about buying a newly built property where you may be able to influence the planning and layout at the early stages to incorporate some of your requirements.
There are many benefits to buying a new home.
One great comfort is that there is a certain amount of added security that you don't get when you're buying a second-hand home. Once you've paid your deposit, exchange follows quickly. You're also at the end of the chain so you're not waiting for a seller to move and some developers make it even easier by offering a part-exchange deal for your property. They can help with finance too by offering deals to offset moving costs, and some also arrange mortgage facilities for a development which can help buyers borrow a higher amount.
If presentation is important, you'll appreciate the modern fixtures and fittings and newly decorated appearance of a new home. Added to that are the modern-day conveniences of downstairs' cloakrooms, en-suites and utility rooms. As mentioned, if you buy early enough off plan (before your new home is actually built), you may be able to have some input into the design and detail. You may also get a new fitted kitchen, bathroom and flooring included in the purchase.
However, buying a new built home is not without its downsides. Snags are a common feature of new-build homes and a surveyor will be able to make a full and independent report of the faults. Be prepared to wait for the builders to sort these out.
Builders are running businesses so not surprisingly they want to maximise on the space available. Don't be surprised if rooms are smaller. Clever use of smaller than average furniture and the removal of doors in the show home can make space deceptive. If you're buying off plan, it may be harder to visualise the actual space.
Don't be surprised if you feel like you're living on a building site for the first few months, especially if you move into one of the early phases of a development.
Finally, you will be paying a premium for the privilege of buying a new home.