Go with your gut instinct - a guide to house hunting
Buying a house comes with so many questions, thoughts and conundrums that you want instant answers to. But sometimes, the answer can be pretty immediate and you just realise it at the time. You know what you want to buy, what it looks like in your mind and you want it to be just right; so doing the arduous house hunt can be very hit or miss. The AA Home Membership undertook research earlier this year to find out the behaviour and decision making patterns of house buyers in the UK.
The instinct buyer
Did you know that one in seven people trust their gut instinct when buying a house? Does that seem a little alarming to you? Well to make things even more drastic, the reality is that one in seven knew that the property was right for them before they’d even set foot through the front door! Some people just know when they have found ‘home’, but did you know that 13% of those asked in the AA research, 13% of under 35s still think of their parents’ houses as ‘home’? So it’s not surprising to hear that the Welsh take the longest to settle into their new home and to ‘feel at home’ can take seven months on average.
The mass
Given that it is so difficult to actually get on the property ladder these days, with rising deposits and house prices, you can understand why people jump straight in with two feet once they have the funds to do so. Passion is most definitely a larger part of the buying process nowadays, especially as people perceive house buying as a once in a lifetime purchase, rather than two or three through the years. With the political parties fighting it out in the recent general election, housing schemes have also been under scrutiny as it is possibly the only chance for young professionals to get onto the property ladder. In opposition to the eager beavers out there, a whopping 60% wait until they have had a proper look around the house before making a decision.
The home birds
Another area of research the AA looked into was the time it took for home owners to actually settle into their new homes. There appear to be three stages of settling in as it were; 29% of those asked felt that it took less than a month for a house to feel like a home, while 23% were more inclined to say more like one to three months post move, and finally 13% believe that it takes over a year to feel like their new house is a home… would those 13% be from Wales by any chance?
It’s important to remember that buying a house isn't a small purchase, so whether you’re an instinct buyer or a strategist, be sure that the house you choose is right for you. Make sure to ask questions, get your facts and do your research. It doesn't matter if you’re a first time buyer or into property investment on a much larger scale, there is so much to think about. At CPS we are here to help landlords, first, second, third or fourth time buyers – get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
