Choosing A Home

Find out what you should look for when choosing your new home. Whether you are a seasoned home owner moving on, or a first time buyer - our home buyer help list will give you the best ideas as well as some pitfalls to look out for.

Browse through our checklist and see some of our top tips on choosing a house to buy.

Choosing a location to live - Lifestyle choice

Do you prefer the hustle and bustle of town or city life and the choice of restaurants, pubs and nightclubs they often offer? Lovers of the arts, theatre and concerts, for example, would be better served by living in a town, city or nearby suburb.

If you spend a lot of time pursuing an outdoor adventure lifestyle then a village or suburb close to the countryside would be ideal. If you really want to get away from it all then there are many rural retreats which may suit you. Living in a rural area need not mean having to drive for everything. Many villages still have a local store and post office for when you run out of life`s essentials like milk and eggs. If the shops are a few minutes drive away, consider getting out your bike and cycle there, feeling virtuous in the process.

Many people dream of living by the sea, and if you are retired this is a real option.

Choosing a location to live - Commuting accessibility considerations

Would you be happy to extend your day by an hour every morning and evening to live in your perfect location – or would you prefer to live a little closer to work? A willingness to commute makes it easier to find your ideal location to live. Commuting may be the perfect solution if you’re desperate to live in the country but all the employment opportunities are based in cities.

If you use public transport to commute to work then having a tube or rail station close to your home is essential. If you travel by bus a regular and reliable bus route within a short walk will be a requirement. Even if you normally drive to work having the backup of public transport can be beneficial. In some towns, having a metro link or tube station within easy access will increase the desirability of a house and location, and hence house prices.

If you use your car to commute a criteria when choosing a place to live may include road links, whether they are motorways or dual carriageway A roads. Close enough to have a quick and easy drive to work but not so close that pollution and road noise becomes an irritant.

Choosing a place to live - Family considerations

For many, it will be important that many close friends and family are nearby. On the other hand many couples, being close to annoying relatives or in-laws is the last thing that they would want.

For grandparents, who often have much more freedom where they choose to live, picking a good location where children and grandchildren are within relatively easy reach may be an important factor.

If you have 2 or more children, a strategic location somewhere midway between the two may be the best choice. If you`re not overly keen on relatives or in-laws, moving a discrete distance away could be the best thing you ever do, especially if you want to make your own way in the world and find a little independence.

Choosing a location - Schools and Catchments areas

You may need to consider the local schools system if you have children. Also, the kind of access you’ll have to healthcare facilities such as the nearest health centre and hospital.

Increasingly house purchases are influenced by the local schools that operate within your postcodes catchment area. With school performance and attainment tables now in force, many parents place this at the top of their consideration list. Some even move house purely to be within scope of high ranking schools. Your local government website will have details of catchment boundaries.

If you have children who need to use a bus to get to school, or if juniors will be needing this service to travel to secondary school in the next few years, having decent transport links nearby will be a great help.

Local Amenities which may be important to you

Do you often use your local library? Are you fond of wine bars and coffee bars? Is a local garage something that will be of benefit to you?

You may also wish to consider schools, clinics, dentists, distance to the nearest A&E hospital, opticians, post offices, pubs and restaurants, leisure centres, cinemas, sporting venues, art galleries, and even supermarkets. Make your own list of what is important to you and check them out.

Many people forget to verify when buying property is whether broadband is available or not, either via BT, Sky or cable. This is particularly an issue for smaller villages, but even in towns and cities, the distance you are from your nearest exchange will determine the download speeds you can achieve. A check with BT will give you the information you need.

Many villages and towns also have their own community websites with information including local amenities, shops, businesses and clubs so you can get a feel for an area

Choosing a location to live - Crime information

You probably don`t want to move into an rear with a high crime rate if you can avoid it. The level of crime in an area can have wide ranging effects, from making you uncomfortable walking the streets, extremely wary of who your kids make friends with, to being downright scared in your own home.

When looking around a new area for the first time look out for graffiti on walls bus shelters and telephone boxes. Broken windows and shops with metal shutters should start to ring alarm bells - for you!! One good idea is to read the local newspaper over a period of 2 or 3 weeks and that will give you a very good idea of the location you are thinking of moving to.

Environmental Considerations

Flooding: You can find out if an area is at risk of flooding, subsidence, pollution and other such issues by visiting the Environment Agency website.

Weather: The weather varies more than you might think across the UK. Check the meteorological facts about where you are thinking of going. Make sure you are not looking at lower temperatures and much more rain fall.

Noise: Noise can be a major problem for some people, but can be difficult to fully escape. Road, rail and air transport are all noise pollutants. Late night pub goers can be a major nuisance factor. When considering traffic noise for the location you are considering look at schools, offices, shops and pubs which can all increase the amount of traffic in an area.

Mobile Phone Masts, Electricity Pylons: If you have young children in particular you should be very sure in your own mind before you purchase a property in close proximity to a mobile phone mast, electricity pylon or sub station. Beware, as not all mobile phone masts are easy to spot.

Radon Gas: Radon is a natural radioactive gas thought to be cancer causing. Domestic exposure to radon gas is responsible for a significant number of lung cancer deaths, research has found. Check if the location you are looking at is affected by naturally occurring Radon, especially if you`re looking in the south west of England and west Wales.

Buying A House

Once you have found your dream home First Choice Finance are here to help you with the mortgage advice you need to purchase your new home. With an extensive panel of lenders and qualified mortgage advisers, we have helped thousands of people obtain over £1 Billion pounds. Over our 25 years of experience we have seen most scenarios and helped a multitude achieve their goal of buying their next, first or new home.

Mortgages & Remortgages 8.4% APRC. Representative Example: Borrow £120,000 over 25 years at 5.99%, £778.86 pcm fixed for 3 years at 60% LTV. Then at 8.75%, £974.86 pcm, variable for 22 years. Total payable £286,416. Total cost of credit £166,416 (including: £985 broker fee, £999 lender fee & £164,432 interest)

Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For help, go to moneyhelper.org.uk

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