Estate Agents UK

When looking to get onto the housing ladder, the property market and everything buying a new house entails, can seem like a very scary prospect indeed! From the raft of confusing mortgage products, to different fees, reports required, legal involvement, house hunting and the offer / acceptance process and everything in between - it's a wonder sometimes that anyone does buy a house at all!

However, the urge to buy is a strong one and many first time buyers enter the market every year with the desire to own their first chunk of bricks and mortar. The first step is usually to begin browsing target areas for suitable houses within a budget range. Alongside this, a mortgage adviser is often consulted to get a mortgage agreement in principle, to ascertain how much the new home buyer, or couple with a joint application can afford. This will take into account factors such as income, savings, debt and deposit amount.

There are two main routes to finding properties for sale in the desired area. One is to get in touch with one of the many estate agents UK based, within the area. The other is to browse an online property website to see which houses are being advertised - whether by estate agents UK-wide, locally, or privately.

It is worth registering with a number of local estate agents from the start, so they can pass on relevant properties that match your needs. When it comes to understanding their own fee structures estate agents UK wide are known for being fairly discreet on the subject, but generally they will earn between 1 and 3 percent of the property price in commission on a sale. It's worth doing some research to find which estate agents are the most recommended, rather than necessarily choosing the cheapest - chemistry and rapport between yourself and your agent can be a good factor in ensuring they give you a heads-up on the best properties!

Another interesting new twist is the rising numbers of property sellers and buyers bypassing estate agents UK-wide and opting for private sales, utilising the internet and bypassing expensive commission fees. It's well worth looking out for private sales and there can be benefits such as cheaper prices and quicker transaction times. However, it's well worth getting advice on this, as a good estate agent will generally offer other useful guidance, legal advice and other services to help the house purchasing and buying service remain as smoothly as possible and it can be useful to have a buffer between buyer and seller if negotiating is required on either side.

Estate agents also offer other benefits, like being aware of good property areas, offering a steer on up and coming areas and being aware of legislation relating to their market. However, it's worth remembering that ultimately their job is to facilitate the sale, maximise the sales price and gain their commission on sales completion, so seek as much independent advice as you can. Research the area and things to look for when viewing a house. Be aware of your legal rights and get advice from seasoned house hunters wherever possible. It is also worth splashing out on a more in-depth homebuyers report to highlight any potential issues before agreeing to a purchase.

For more information about estate agents uk please visit http://www.hamptons.co.uk or contact us at our London Office:

Hamptons International Lettings

1-4 The Plain, Oxford OX4 1AS

01865 723 557