Buy Your Dream Cardiff Property

Step 1

Why are you buying?

Finalise why you are buying the property before you start to search, as your estate agent will need to know your situation in order to help you buy. If you’re looking to invest, you will have very different needs to a family who need to upsize. If you’re a tenant in a fixed-term tenancy, you’ll need to take into account how long your notice period is. Make sure you take have a look into areas in which you’re looking to buy, as different neighbourhoods have different benefits and drawbacks that will affect property prices.

Step 2

Co-ordinate a Mortgage

Put plenty of thought into your mortgage, and bear in mind the major expenses involved in buying a property: the deposit, stamp duty, the lender's valuation fee, and fees for your estate agent, solicitor and conveyancer. Do some sums and make sure you're going to ask for a mortgage that covers all your costs. Remember that if you're intending to rent your property out, you will need a buy-to-let mortgage.

Step 3

Window Shopping

It's always wise to do a bit of research before you get stuck into viewings. A good agent will want to know what you're looking to buy before they take you around properties, and looking online is the best way to get a feel for the market. Agents will often advertise on nationwide portals like RightMove as well as their own sites, so it's useful to check both. Visiting an estate agency's site will allow you to judge how well they know the area around where you're looking to move and what they know about the local property market.

Step 4

Searching in Earnest

Now that you have an idea of what you want, you can identify specific properties that you want to have a look around. Register your interest with agents who have properties that you want to view, and let them know what you're looking for. You shouldn't have to put in all the legwork of hunting for a new house – a good agent will actively try to match your list of priorities to properties that are currently on their books. We have mailing lists so that you can get regular updates of properties that match your needs.

Step 5

What to Look for During the Viewing

Bear in mind that if you're looking at a family home, particularly if the vendors have young children, the place might be less than perfectly presented! Try to envisage yourself in the property, not just see it as it is now. It might surprise you to learn that the biggest turn-off during viewings is something very simple: colour schemes. It's a subconscious influence, but also a superficial concern – an unappealing shade of paint is easily changed! A good agent will encourage you to see past what's there and imagine what it could be if you have the chance to change it.

Step 6

Making an Offer

Estate agents are bound by law to put all offers to the vendor, which the vendor can then accept or decline. A good agent will be able to provide feedback on your offer, and if the seller declines, the agent should be able to tell you what you would need to change about your offer for it to become acceptable. Do bear in mind that the price of the property is just an asking price – vendors should be open to offers and should expect negotiation. Offers are also generally made ‘subject to survey', which means that you reserve the right to re-negotiate if a conveyancing survey flags up any serious issues with the property

Step 7

Select a Solicitor

Once your offer has been accepted, you need to instruct a solicitor. You may have one that you regularly instruct if you have bought properties in the past. If not, we are able to recommend one for you. Although any solicitor can draw up your contract, you should choose one who has experience with housing transactions. Once you've instructed one, you shouldn't have to deal with them again – we will liaise with both your solicitor and the seller's solicitor, and keep you updated on the progress of your sale.

Step 8

The Legal Process

This is where the survey of the property happens. The sale offer and the mortgage agreement will proceed as long as the conveyancing survey doesn't throw up anything nasty. You have the right to re-negotiate if it does – nothing becomes legally binding until the contracts are signed. The survey examines the structural integrity, identifies any problems and advises on the value of the property. The conveyancing process also involves checking over details of a draft contract and agreeing on the date that contracts will be exchanged. Following the survey, you will receive a formal mortgage offer from your lender.

Step 9

Exchange of Contracts

Once the contract has been signed by both buyer and seller, they become legally binding. At this point, the buyer's solicitor transfers the deposit to the seller's solicitor. During the exchange of contracts, you and the seller will agree on a date of completion – the date that the remaining money will be transferred, and you become the legal owner of the house. The date of completion is also the day we give you your new keys!

Step 10

Moving Day

We keep in touch right up to moving day in order to give you the smoothest sale possible. Be prepared for how physical moving house can be. You'll be packing, unpacking, carrying and cleaning. To minimise the fuss, we recommend that you start getting rid of things you don't need, and boxing up whatever you can, weeks in advance. If you have children or pets, seriously consider whether you can send them to a friend's for the day itself, to cut the chaos as much as possible! Our top tip is to keep one box with all of your absolute essentials so that you have them to hand when you walk through the door of your new house – and if you keep the tea-bags inside the kettle, you can have a cuppa within five minutes of your arrival.