Advice to Buyers

Refine your criteria and search area - Too wide a catchment area usually proves time consuming and ineffective. It's difficult to compare ‘like for like' in areas that differ greatly on price. Weigh up what you need and what you'd want from your next home; most buyers end up making compromises, whatever their budget. Set yourself a timescale within which you hope to have moved - whilst this may be entirely flexible, it's useful to have a goal in mind.

Register with all Estate Agents that cover your preferred area - It costs nothing to register with an agent, except time. As your search continues you'll decide which agents handle the type of property you're seeking and you'll end up dealing with a select few.

Respond quickly to new instructions - The best properties attract interest from day one. If it sounds good over the phone, then take time out to view that day; if you're one of the first people round you'll stand a much better chance of securing your dream home.

Look beyond the superficial - If you're willing to spend time and money you can transform a property beyond recognition, playing up on its best features and distracting attention away from its worst. With space at a constant premium, a smaller house might become an affordable alternative with the addition of an extension or loft conversion.

Once you have found - Negotiate your offer with the Estate Agency, discussing timescale at the point of offer; cross any hurdles at this stage to avoid wasting time and money. Staff at Chase Buchanan can provide you with excellent contacts for mortgages, conveyancing, surveying, storage and removals.

The buying process - Until contracts are exchanged there are no guarantees. The situation is the same for your vendor; for that reason we recommend you try to reach an exchange of contracts as soon as possible, otherwise the process can be lengthy and frustrating. We keep in regular contact with our customers, clients, and their respective advisors, in order to eliminate delays.