6 House Hunting Tips

House hunting is a fun and exciting experience, whether you are looking to rent or buy a property. It is also an arduous process that requires a lot of time, effort, and dedication to find the perfect place to call a home. Considering whichever category you fall into this fun, yet longwinded process should not be taken lightly. So, here are 6 practical tips on how to maximise your search to help you find your dream home.

1. Know what you want.

This might sound obvious, but how many times have you been stumped when asked the question, "what do you want?" House hunting is demanding, and you do not want to waste any time looking at properties that are of little or no interest to you. Before you start searching, sit and think about the style of home you want, the location, the property size etc. The key to finding what you are looking for is knowing what you want as this will determine your standards, specifications, and boundaries.

2. Have a budget.

When deciding to either rent or buy a property affordability is key. Just because you can pay for something does not mean you can afford it. Affordability requires sustainability. For example, a good way to know the difference between what you can pay for, and what you can afford is based on your current salary, if once you pay your rent and bills for the month means you then have to choose between buying groceries or toiletries this is a good indication that you might not be financially buoyant to live on your own yet. That’s a reality check many of us aren’t willing to hear.

However, in light of the current economic climate you do not want to put yourself in a position whereby you move out of your current living situation and after you’ve paid your rent the only options you are left with are choosing to either buy groceries for that month or toiletries as both are essentials. Affordability suggests that you should be able to pay for all your essential needs even after paying your rent and household bills. Having a budget will help you narrow your search and focus on what is within your means so be honest when examining your finances.

NB: However, in cases where your life might be in danger and you need advice or need to get to safety which means leaving your current living situation, please contact us on 0203 576 3174 to speak to one of our Housing Advisors. Alternatively, you can send us an email to: info@lpsandconsultancy.co.uk and a member of our team will respond within 24 hours. To report a crime and or for life-threatening emergencies, please call the police on 999.

3. Create a room or property wanted ad online.

Similar to job hunting, when you register with specialist recruitment agencies, they share the workload with you. Use this same strategy when house hunting because creating adverts online makes you visible to prospective landlords, and letting agents who can in turn contact you regarding available properties that match your requirements to arrange a viewing. Creating an advert also saves you time from scrolling through numerous websites aimlessly looking for available properties that fit your spec.

When creating an online advert specificity is key! Therefore, include the following information in your ad: type of property wanted, number of room(s), number of bathrooms, pets, religious requirements, number of people you are willing to live with (if any), do you want an outdoor space just in case we go through another pandemic and have to go into lockdown again etc. Whatever your preferences are do not be afraid to add them to your advert as this will help narrow down your search and connect you with relevant, prospective landlords and or letting agents.

*If you need help creating an ad or with your property search in general, send us an email to be assisted with this. Otherwise, subscribe now to receive our exclusive, extensive list of websites, and organisations to help you with your search independently. We charge a small fee for this. *

4. Do not pay for a property you have not seen in person.

By now we should know that this is the golden rule for all online business dealings, and house hunting is no exception. Again, this might sound obvious, but I have heard of too many tragic tales whereby out of desperation innocent house hunters fell victim to online scammers. Though there are no legal restrictions about needing to view a property before signing a lease or a tenancy agreement, it is important to view a property before you rent or buy it because looks can be deceiving. Viewing a property before renting or buying it has many benefits, including that you can check out the size of the home, measure it up, scope out the local area, check for any disrepairs etc. Irrespective of how genuine the agent or landlord might come across when speaking with you either via email or over the telephone, if they ask you for money before you’ve had a chance to view the property in person this is a red flag.

To clarify, this is very different from being asked to pay a holding fee. A holding deposit sometimes called a holding fee is a payment to a landlord or letting agent to reserve a property. A holding deposit of one week's rent is legally permitted in England and Wales. A holding deposit cannot be more than 1 week's rent for the property you want to reserve. A holding deposit is refundable and should be refunded in full within 7 days if the landlord decides not to rent to you. The landlord or agent must return it if you gave honest and factual information even if: you fail an affordability or credit check.

Still, it is not advisable to pay without viewing the property first. Only pay it if you are serious about taking on the tenancy after you have viewed the property in person and both you and your landlord or agent have signed the tenancy agreement.

5. If an ad is too good to be true, IT PROBABLY IS!

I think that’s pretty self-explanatory. Trust your instincts.

6. Go with a friend or another trusted person to viewings.

Going to viewings with a second pair of eyes might come in handy as the other person can spot the things that you miss. Two are better than one. It never hurts to get a second opinion and someone else's real live reactions. Besides, going with a friend or another trusted person can also add to the excitement of the whole experience so don’t shy away from asking those closest to you to attend viewings with you at a time that’s convenient for everyone of course.

All in all, be smart and stay safe. We wish you all the best with your search.

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