Looking for a house in Aldershot? The local real estate agents and experts have prepared this guide on what to look out when buying your next property. It is crucial that you find the right home as it will become one of life’s largest purchases. Don’t take any chances with selecting incorrectly!
Local Area Research in Aldershot
One of the best ways to find out about a house is by doing some local area research. You can use major property portals such as Rightmove or Onthemarket, but there are other resources that may be more appropriate depending on your needs and interests
The HM Land Registry has lots of useful information. On the government website, you can conduct searches by town/city name; Street Name and Property Type. Information will be presented from the area’s records such as sale contracts, expired listing and any other publicly available information. This can be useful to gain prior information for the property or area you are interested in.
After discovering some property prices and uncovering important information about an area or house, it is a good idea to check the crime rates. With statistics gathered from CrimeRate.co.uk it is fair to say that Aldershot has a relatively low crime rate compared to its home county Hampshire, as well as the rest of the UK. The town is considered to be the second safest within the county of Hampshire and is the 2293rd most dangerous location in the country. When relocating by yourself or with a young family it is especially critical to do some research into the crime statistics of any area. However, it is also important no matter what your situation is as you need to be aware of any specific types of crime and whether moving to this area could place you at risk.
Placing an Offer
Once you have found your dream home, it’s time to put in an offer. If the property is priced correctly and in good condition with no major problems or issues then 10% below may be a suitable starting point – but if there are extenuating circumstances that make this difficult for whatever reason try 15%.
When you make an offer on a property, it’s important to be ready with all necessary documents so you can start the conveyancing process. There will also be plenty of questions to answer based on your situation. Your main concern should be on financing the purchase, you may want to find the answers to each of these questions. What happens if we want to buy cash? Should I get pre-approved for my mortgage
When making offers using a mortgage, having an agreement in principal agreement written up can help to move the situation along and avoid any unpleasant surprises relating to payments down the line.
Conveyancing
Once your offer has been accepted, the next step in buying a property is conveyancing. This legal process of transferring ownership from one party to another and can be quite complex and time-consuming but you’ll get there eventually with patience! The process involves several searches such as a Local Authority Search, environmental searches, and drainage searches. There are also several other components that make up the conveyancing process.
Your conveyancer can either be sourced through an online conveyancing agency or a high street solicitor. Making your decision between these options can be difficult. Online conveyancing tends to be cheaper and more efficient as the transition to updated methodologies has taken place. Many conveyancers, both online and offline will also offer a No Sale, No Fee guarantee that protects your interests should the property exchange fall through for any reason. You should always select a conveyancer that offers this feature as it prevents you from paying any charges for the work completed up to that point.
Contract Exchange
After the conveyancing process, so long as no major issues were highlighted, contracts should be in order to be signed and exchanged between the buyer and sellers’ parties. Your conveyancer should walk you through your contract before signing to ensure you are happy with each of the terms included. Any changes must be made before exchange as at this point, the transaction becomes a legally binding agreement.
Once contracts are exchanged, there is typically a 2-week interval before completion. After this, you are the proud new owner of a home in Aldershot. Before moving you should make arrangements for removals services, storage facilities and any pet or childcare necessities to make your transition as smooth as possible.
You are now the owner of a great property in Aldershot or wherever you have purchased your new home.
