Before the househunting can begin in earnest, you need to decide where you want to move to. In fact, this is actually one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make in the entire house-buying process, as if you get it wrong you’ll either find yourself unhappy with where you live or you’ll have to consider taking on the costs involved with moving a second time.
Of course, if you’re staying local then this won’t be too much of a concern, as you’re sure to be familiar with the area. The problem comes if you plan to move further afield, as it can take some time to get to know an area properly and really get a feel for it.
As such, it’s essential that you take the time to do thorough research of all the places you’d consider moving to, so that you can be confident in your ultimate decision about which house you want to invest in.
The first step to take is to make sure that you’re selecting an area in which you can afford to buy the kind of property you’re hoping to live in. You’ll need an idea of how much you want to spend and, if a mortgage is required, how much you can afford to borrow.
Once you’re armed with this information, you can then start looking around on property websites to see what’s available within your budget in different areas.
When choosing an area, think about if you’d prefer something more rural or urban, as well as distance to local amenities and transport links. If you’re keen for a taste of country life, finding properties not too far away from a train station can prove quite useful, especially if you intend to have the best of both worlds and don’t want to be too isolated or too far away from a town or city.
Other factors when deciding upon location include proximity to work, crime rates, council tax rates, local schools, community groups you can join and so on.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, you can start heading out to check each area out. Spend as much time as you can in the area to find out if you can see yourself living there. Visit all the local shops, pubs and parks, and try out the local transport options so you can judge its convenience and see if it offers what you need.
It’s also important, of course, to know what kind of property you’d like to live in, whether that’s an apartment, a terraced house, a bungalow, a three-bed semi-detached… there are a lot of options and it may be that your choice of area won’t have what you’re looking for in terms of property type.
If you’re currently looking for a mortgage application service, get in touch with the Tulip Mortgages team today
