An essential and fun read about buying your own home - from First Time Buyers, for First Time Buyers. Illustrated throughout by well-known creative artist Ben Jones to make you smile.
Almost two years ago, me and my partner had this brilliant idea: let's buy our own home! We were fed up with renting and thought we got this - a few months and we are sorted. Little did we know.
When we embarked on the adventure, first thing we realised was that we didn't actually have a clue what we were doing, falling for the tricks of the trade at almost every step of the journey. We relied on online material and a few books explaining WHY you should buy, but not really HOW. We tumbled through the process from step to step, without being properly prepared for what was supposed to happen next and what was realistic. We had to let one house go after its survey revealed lots of issues that we could have spotted, then spent more than half a year trying to find another one and finally wound up in a chain that caused an additional 6-month delay.
Thankfully, we are both scientists. In our best bid to get on top of everything, we started to do uncountable hours of research, calculations, reading up and talking to relevant people - agents, surveyors, mortgage brokers, other First Time Buyers. While we were suffering through the conveyancing process, I finally realised that I increasingly needed a therapeutic outlet. This is how this book was born: a catharsis, a plea that no matter what, something good must come out of this!! I thought - if nothing else, let's pass on everything that we have learned to make this a little easier for someone else. Because no-one deserves the unnecessary chaos, stress and financial losses that come with buying your own home.
This book is our compiled wisdom to make the home buying process more transparent. We hope it will help you plan, make informed choices, be better in control of the process and, most importantly, know what is coming and what to expect. The purpose of this book is for you to be prepared and less at the mercy of 'the system'.
Contents
- How to get thousands of Pounds for free towards your purchase.
- Work out a feasible financial scenario early.
- Research your property and be a step ahead.
- Be best prepared for viewing and offering.
- Understand and manage the conveyancing process step-by-step.
- Learn from others
Almost two years ago, me and my partner had this brilliant idea: let's buy our own home! We were fed up with renting and thought we got this - a few months and we are sorted. Little did we know.
When we embarked on the adventure, first thing we realised was that we didn't actually have a clue what we were doing, falling for the tricks of the trade at almost every step of the journey. We relied on online material and a few books explaining WHY you should buy, but not really HOW. We tumbled through the process from step to step, without being properly prepared for what was supposed to happen next and what was realistic. We had to let one house go after its survey revealed lots of issues that we could have spotted, then spent more than half a year trying to find another one and finally wound up in a chain that caused an additional 6-month delay.
Thankfully, we are both scientists. In our best bid to get on top of everything, we started to do uncountable hours of research, calculations, reading up and talking to relevant people - agents, surveyors, mortgage brokers, other First Time Buyers. While we were suffering through the conveyancing process, I finally realised that I increasingly needed a therapeutic outlet. This is how this book was born: a catharsis, a plea that no matter what, something good must come out of this!! I thought - if nothing else, let's pass on everything that we have learned to make this a little easier for someone else. Because no-one deserves the unnecessary chaos, stress and financial losses that come with buying your own home.
This book is our compiled wisdom to make the home buying process more transparent. We hope it will help you plan, make informed choices, be better in control of the process and, most importantly, know what is coming and what to expect. The purpose of this book is for you to be prepared and less at the mercy of 'the system'.
Contents
- Chapter 1. WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER RIGHT NOW
- Chapter 2. CONSTRAINTS
- Chapter 3. BASIC INGREDIENTS
- Chapter 4. FINDING A HOME
- Chapter 5. GETTING STUFF READY FOR AN OFFER
- Chapter 6. VIEWING AND OFFERING
- Chapter 7. OFFER ACCEPTED: PREPARING THE NEXT STEPS
- Chapter 8. CONVEYANCING FROM START TO FINISH
- Chapter 9. MOVING IN - THE FIRST STEPS
- Chapter 10. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. STORIES FROM OTHERS
- Appendix 1. GLOSSARY
- Appendix 2. YOUR OWN CALCULATIONS AND WISHLISTS
- Appendix 3. CONVEYANCING LOG-BOOK
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