Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

The mantra of 'location, location, location,' has seemingly ruled unchallenged as the top priority when moving home. I'd suggest if you actually want to move, and not just find a house you like, then preparation is the true ruler.

I have complained and highlighted before about how approximately 30% of house sales fall through before completion, but how much of that is avoidable? For sure, there are many aspects of our undoubtedly deeply flawed and frustrating system that can cause a sale to fall through, but everyone involved can certainly play their part by being as prepared as possible.

VENDORS WHEN SELLING

PAPERWORK

Make sure you have all the documents - not just deeds for your house - ready and easily accessible. Sometimes this might need extra time to check signatures and agreements if the house is being sold during a separation or divorce or as part of the settlement of an estate with executors. This should include (but are not limited to):

• Repairs

• Building work

• Extensions

• Servicing (boiler etc)

CHECK PROPERTY THOROUGHLY

You could get someone to help you, an outside eye can spot things you might miss:

Roofing (including guttering.)

• Drains

• Garden

• Attic/loft space

• Chimney(s)

• Driveway.

• Windows and doors

BUYING A PROPERTY

This might sound incredibly obvious but get a check list for your due diligence similar to those above.  Have you got the correct level of survey for the type of property you are buying? If you;re buying an substantially older property, what are you prepared to accept in terms of repair but also risk? 

Have you done a thorough check on your mortgage and with lenders? Sometimes the offer might be time dependent and could have changed during the process - this can suddenly hold up or derail a sale at the last moment.

Taking the time to get a good, local solicitor (even if they may cost a bit more than the cheap offer you see online) can massively help as they know the market and the people involved. This can make the difference in a sale completing in a timely fashion, or taking a few months. This applies to both sellers and buyers!

COMMUNICATION

Finally, making sure you, your agent, and your solicitor keep good communication. It can be frustrating and infuriating when there are delays so prepare in advance for how you'd react and handle different situations. Sometimes unforeseen situations happen and yelling at someone won’t help. But…we can lessen those unforeseen circumstances by being as prepared as we can.

Image by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pixabay