9 Questions to Ask When Buying A House in Southport

Mortgage Advice in Southport

It can be common to feel overwhelmed in the home buying process, especially if you are a first time buyer in Southport. Through our experience as a mortgage broker in Southport, we are proud to have helped thousands of customers feel at ease in the mortgage process.

Alongside the mortgage process, it can be an exciting but difficult venture when finding your dream home with many wondering what they need to ask the estate agent when taking property viewings. We understand that this can be a challenge which is why we have collated a list of questions we feel is best to ask before buying a property in Southport.

The 9 most common questions:

1. How much interest has there been in the property?

The amount of interest there has been from other potential buyers of the property can strongly reflect the amount of thinking time you will have. It can also uncover other aspects, for example, if many people have been taking property viewing and have not made an offer it may be because the asking price is a lot higher or there is an issue with the property that has put many people off.

To find out the amount of interest on a property, simply ask the estate agents or see how many people have viewed the property if possible.

2. Is there a property chain?

A property chain occurs when your property purchase is stalled because the seller is waiting for the sale of their property to go through. This can obviously keep going meaning there can be many transactions and buyers involved.

If you are part of a chain, this can play a significant role in your mortgage journey.

On the flip side, if you are buying a property that is not caught up in a chain, there is a high chance that you will be able to into the home a lot quicker. A seller’s ideal buyer is normally someone who isn’t part of a chain as they won’t be interrupting the home buying process so it’s key you mention this as it can work in your favour.

3. What’s included in the sale?

Items that have been left behind by the previous homeowner can be a blessing and a curse. It’s brilliant if you are going to use the item, however, it’s an issue if you don’t as it will be your job to dispose of it yourself.

If you are moving into a new build, this may not be an issue as most of them don’t come with appliances. There may be an option to pay more to get some of these appliances fitted in your home for when you move in.

4. What are the neighbours like?

Getting a feel of what your neighbours are like can be a make or break decision for many. In particular, if you are new to an area.

For many people, they can get an idea of the neighbours as they already live in the property and the community feel is present. For those looking at moving to a new housing development full of new builds, it can be difficult as no one will be able to meet their neighbours before purchase.

5. How much does it cost to run?

It is key to find out how much the costs of running the home will be like gas and electricity. Asking this question can be important as you can have a further understanding of what the monthly bills would be like living in this property.

It’s also best that you look at the council tax in the area to get an idea of how much you will be accountable for each month.

6. Which way does the house face?

For those who love to spend their sunny evenings in their garden and like to read in natural light, you may be particular about which way the property faces. If you have a south-facing garden, this means you will get the most sun throughout the day. You may find that these types of properties come with a premium price.

7. How much work will be required after moving in?

Despite this showing on the property survey, it is key to know what type of work will be required on the property. Things you will need to consider include:

• Energy efficiency on the home
• Damp Issues
• Check if any furnishing needs altering

8. Are you open to offers?

Remember to ask the seller whether they are open to offers or not because you will be able to know whether there is an opportunity to negotiate or not. To increase the chance of them saying yes, we do recommend you include a lower offer that could benefit the seller. For instance, if you are able to get through the property pretty quickly and are not caught in a property chain, our team may be able to offer slightly lower so that the sale goes through fast.

9. When can I move in?

Setting a “move-in” date is beneficial, in particular, if you are in a property chain yourself. It’s also good to notify your buyer about this date too so that they have a move-in date.

Setting this date can help you set out a plan for moving into the property and start booking removal vans etc. If you are looking for assistance from a mortgage broker in Southport, for moving home, get in touch with our team and book yourself in for a free mortgage appointment.

Mortgage Broker in Southport

Date Last Edited: August 1, 2023