Buying a home at any point in your life is going to be expensive, especially with house prices hitting record highs.This can be particularly daunting if you are new to buying. However, there are plenty of things you can do to save yourself some money along the way.
Search often
The housing market moves very quickly and so to find something you want, within your budget, you need to be looking at newly listed homes regularly. It is a good idea to be searching regularly for new homes to stay updated on newlyavailable properties. It can also be useful to set up alerts on property sites such as Rightmove and Zoopla. This way, when a new house comes on the market you can view and offer early, meaning you may be able to secure a lower price.
Utilise money-saving schemes
There is a range of schemes available, from private suppliers to government schemes for first-time buyers. It is definitely worth doing some research into what you may be eligible for to save yourself some money. These schemes often include smaller deposit allowances so don’t overlook them.
Don’t take your first solicitor quote
Solicitors’ fees are unavoidable when buying a home, however, by shopping around you may be able to save yourself some money. Get quotes from multiple solicitors before deciding who to go with to make sure you aren’t going to pay above the market rate. It is also worth looking at client reviews as cost shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when picking a solicitor.
Offer wisely
When you find a home you like enough to offer on it can be very tempting to offer as high as you can go in an attempt tosecure the property. Doing this means you may be paying more than the seller was willing to accept. Starting with a lower offer to test the waters is a good way to potentially save yourself some money. As a first-time buyer with no chain, many sellers will favour you over those in a chain, so you are more likely to get away with a lower offer. It is also common for popular properties to go to ‘best and final’, if this happens then this is where you can offer a higher amount.
Enquire about fittings early
Some sellers choose to leave lots of fittings when moving house. This could be anything from white goods to furniture. Enquiring about this early on in the process will give you theopportunity to negotiate on the price of these items and factor it into your budget if you were planning on purchasing similar things.
