First time home

[Snippysnips]

Looking for all tips, advice and anything else you can offer on a first home.

So I am getting ready to start seriously looking for my first home, I'll be on my own an I'll be increasing my hours at work.

So for those that have been through this, if you could go back what would you tell yourselves about what to do, what not to do etc.

I've already decided a slow cooker should be on the list for things to help so that I am not coming home having to think what to cook for dinner especially with the increased hours, am quite a neat person so any advice on keeping the home looking great would be helpful like good cleaning products etc, I won't be doing the help to buy scheme as this may not be a "forever" home so looking for a mortgage with fixed term interest an who has the best offers an anything I should look out for.

Honestly this is a new world for me so it's all overwhelming, so if there's anything to offer it would be more than welcome, thanks

 

[Kim Mild]

You have to consider that situations out of your control may change and you may live in that property for longer than you initially anticipate. Also , the buying/ conveyancing process takes ages.

 

[Snippysnips]

You have to consider that situations out of your control may change and you may live in that property for longer than you initially anticipate. Also , the buying/ conveyancing process takes ages.

I suppose I would like to think I'd be in it for life, but if I were to meet someone then it could change so I don't want to say for certain that this is it

I am still living with parents right now so there's no real rush to move, realistically I was thinking it would be early next year or possibly early summer before I was into a place

 

[Pesky Tarian]

Congratulations! As overwhelming as it may feel I'm sure you'll enjoy having your own space.

My advice is start collecting small inexpensive things now, herbs, spices, baking trays, measuring spoons etc. It will soften the blow of having to buy everything all at once and it's a pleasure to see your collection grow.

 

[Snippysnips]

Congratulations! As overwhelming as it may feel I'm sure you'll enjoy having your own space.

My advice is start collecting small inexpensive things now, herbs, spices, baking trays, measuring spoons etc. It will soften the blow of having to buy everything all at once and it's a pleasure to see your collection grow.

Thanks, that's a good idea since I'll need to kit it out from scratch, right now I'd only have my bed an TV to take

 

[Sunflower91]

Don’t be afraid to chase things up or question why things are taking so much time. I completed all of the stuff I could on my end as quick as I could- the biggest hold up was the solicitor back and forth over the queries.

If you’re living with parents use the first few days after moving in to clean and do basic repairs while you don’t have furniture in the way. I painted before I moved in all of my furniture and it was a godsend. Also it’s cool to just tackle things room by room and take your time. I limit myself to one big project a year just to reduce the stress levels.

Don’t forget to buy a bottle opener, corkscrew and pizza cutter (I realised I had none of these when I wanted to celebrate after a long day painting and had to hack into a bottle of wine and butchered my pizza). For a slow cooker- you might want to consider the ninja foodie max. It airfrys, pressure cooks, slow cooks etc and saves on the space you’d need for separate appliances.

 

[Snippysnips]

Don’t be afraid to chase things up or question why things are taking so much time. I completed all of the stuff I could on my end as quick as I could- the biggest hold up was the solicitor back and forth over the queries.

If you’re living with parents use the first few days after moving in to clean and do basic repairs while you don’t have furniture in the way. I painted before I moved in all of my furniture and it was a godsend. Also it’s cool to just tackle things room by room and take your time. I limit myself to one big project a year just to reduce the stress levels.

Don’t forget to buy a bottle opener, corkscrew and pizza cutter (I realised I had none of these when I wanted to celebrate after a long day painting and had to hack into a bottle of wine and butchered my pizza). For a slow cooker- you might want to consider the ninja foodie max. It airfrys, pressure cooks, slow cooks etc and saves on the space you’d need for separate appliances.

Thanks, I didn't know you could get a slow cooker that also done other things, that would be great as the places I am looking at have quite small kitchens so I need to save as much space as I can, so I'll take a look at that

Am usually the type that will keep questioning then hoping they don't get fed up with me, so I'll keep chasing if there are any slow downs

I do plan that it will be a slow move, I don't want to feel like a rush then end up getting on an wishing I had done this or that before an with the benefit of being with parents I'd have that time to be able to do it

 

[bottlewrapper]

Don't buy a property needing any more work than painting and decorating, unless you are already very experienced or have a lot of money to spend on tradespeople. All the property and garden tv programmes lie about the actual effort and money involved and make it look easy.

Ignore the old advice about buying the biggest property you can, consider genuine affordability.

If you're buying a leasehold flat, insist on asking for 10 years of records on major works, and make sure you understand how major works and sinking funds work, and what the situation is in your building.

Go and visit the property at different times of the day and night before you exchange contracts.

Knock on the neighbour's doors and introduce yourself as a potential buyer and ask them if they enjoy living there, is there any community etc. Suss them out - loads of noisy kids/dogs? Drug den? Pensioners? Brothel? Do you want to live next to them - neighbours can be a real blight on a property and the onus is on you to discover any problems before you move in. Get your solicitor to check whether neighbouring houses are council properties, registered HMOs etc.

 

[Snippysnips]

Don't buy a property needing any more work than painting and decorating, unless you are already very experienced or have a lot of money to spend on tradespeople. All the property and garden tv programmes lie about the actual effort and money involved and make it look easy.

Ignore the old advice about buying the biggest property you can, consider genuine affordability.

If you're buying a leasehold flat, insist on asking for 10 years of records on major works, and make sure you understand how major works and sinking funds work, and what the situation is in your building.

Go and visit the property at different times of the day and night before you exchange contracts.

Knock on the neighbour's doors and introduce yourself as a potential buyer and ask them if they enjoy living there, is there any community etc. Suss them out - loads of noisy kids/dogs? Drug den? Pensioners? Brothel? Do you want to live next to them - neighbours can be a real blight on a property and the onus is on you to discover any problems before you move in. Get your solicitor to check whether neighbouring houses are council properties, registered HMOs etc.

Thanks, I never thought about checking out neighbours an such or asking for the situation on the building

I don't think it will be very big, we had not a exactly big house when growing up but bigger than others like friends/family an for some strange reason it made me a bit wary so now I prefer a smaller home where it doesn't feel like rooms are far apart

Honestly work itself doesn't put me off unless it's going to be massive financial wise, I have a close friend that basically rips property's apart to the shell to rebuild them, his office was practically falling to bits an I mean like walls an roof needed ripped apart to fix an he's done amazing putting it together so I know I have that if needed, but ideally if it's just painting an new flooring etc I'd be happy with that

The homes am looking at I know roughly what the area is like, I won't be moving far, will still be in the same town an will know people around, it will just be the neighbours I won't know too well