The key to successful house hunting

Many of us have heard time and again that the purchase of a house is probably the biggest single purchase most people will make in their lifetimes. And yet, for this realisation, it is startling how little time some potential homeowners invest in this momentous financial and potentially life-changing decision.

I have heard of people whose research into property for sale prior to purchasing a home amounts to little more than a drive around the desired neighbourhood looking for “For Sale” boards. This is a good idea if the leisurely drive around suburbia is combined with another market research approach. Generally, getting out there and experiencing one’s desired location offers the advantage of being able to assess the different amenities offered by different suburbs. In an age of self-contained housing complexes, one may not think that what exists beyond the complex walls is important, but easy access to parks, recreational facilities and so on becomes really important at sale time.

For most of us, the easiest way to get a feel for both what housing stock is out there and what it costs is to go online. There are a myriad of good property web resources out there, of which this one is of course an example. The online route is a good one if the potential buyer wishes to save time by being able to access the maximum amount of information regarding the potential purchase target as possible. For example, online offers the advantage over print of being able to access more than just one photograph of the property on offer. However, that being said, there is something to be said for making the Saturday morning cruise through the property pages part of one’s weekend routine for at least a month prior to putting in your first offer.

You need to start becoming familiar with asking prices in your desired areas and the offers that were eventually accepted. To get a feel for what sellers are accepting in a given area, it is definitely worthwhile to build relationships with several local estate agents who will be able to give you an idea of actual sale prices achieved. They should have no problem with providing this info to you if they are serious about doing business with you in the future.

Aside from connecting with local estate agents, another good approach to collecting unbiased information on a desired area is to talk to the local police. A quick visit to the neighbourhood police station (provided it is not made in the back of a police van) will enable you to assess the security situation but it will also likely result in other useful information about noise levels, environmental threats and the prevalence of vagrants and informal traders who might not make ideal neighbours.

Finally, if you do pay a visit to the site of your planned purchase, ensure you visit at a few different times during the weekend as well as during the working week. A neighbourhood can have a very different feel depending on the day of the week and it’s important to know if speeding delivery trucks, for example, are likely to interfere with the enjoyment of your new home. Happy house hunting!

Article supplied by private property