Alex has been with us for around a year now, and his house buying journey began before he started with us. Fingers crossed he and his partner will have the keys to their first property by Christmas.
So what has the journey been like for them?
Like many young people when they initially start to think about buying their first home, Alex admits he didn’t really know what was involved, and what to do and when.
He found looking for a property in the current climate really difficult, as prices were rising in the bracket he was looking for and he was competing with lots of other first time buyers and buy-to-let landlords. In common, with many other house buyers this year, when putting in offers for properties, he and his partner had to get the balance between making an offer that was likely to be accepted, without going too far over the asking price and potentially overpaying.
The house they are hoping to move into is the tenth property that they put an offer in on, and the 4th to have an offer accepted on. This is the furthest they have ever got in the property buying process.
Alex has found having Sandy and Gavin on his ‘doorstep’ during the last year really helpful, saying it would have been much harder without them, and has definitely made the money part less stressful.
Alex’s tips for other first time buyers are:
Be prepared to let a property go. Sometimes that is better than overpaying and potentially facing real financial problems later on.
Choose your solicitor carefully. Ask for recommendations, read google reviews, and shop around.
Ask questions. It is scary, and can be difficult to get your head around, so ask as many questions as you need to.
Save as much as you can. This one isn’t easy, but if your circumstances allow, save anything you have spare. Pre-covid Alex only had a 5 percent deposit, but thanks to being able to save more during lockdown, he was able to access mortgages with lower interest rates. He’s also found that there are more expenses than he imagined with having your first house, including extra furniture and increased bills.
Alex and his partner have now done everything they can to get ready to exchange and complete on their first property. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that all of the paperwork gets sorted and they can move in soon.
