It would not be totally crazy to hope that, after the past few years we all want to see a ray of sunshine and some positivity in our lives. The news, post covid, has been dominated by war, interest rate hikes, and the cost of living crisis, and we are all hoping for some good weather to cheer away the winter blues.
Spring is usually the time that we all like to reflect on changes. The change in the weather and the start of, potentially, a great summer ahead brings optimism and hope. It is therefore a great time to consider the next few years and where you want to be.
Spring is notoriously the start of a busier season for estate agents and movement within the residential property market. Families are looking ahead for where they need to be living for school catchment areas with the start of the new academic year in a few months’ time. Others might be thinking ahead to the summer and barbeques in the garden.
Whatever the plans, looking to move house can be an exciting time. However, there are some things that you should consider before making an offer on a property.
- Has the property been extended? As well as the usual planning permissions and building regulation consents, does it have restrictive covenant consents – this is often overlooked as homeowners are aware of planning, but often forget the legal requirements as well. Also, if the seller has done the works during their period of ownership then upon the change of ownership the council tax banding may change and you could end up paying a higher tax band.
- Do the boundaries seem as they should be? Some boundaries have straight features for the gardens, but it would be worth checking whether the route of the boundaries match what you would expect. For example, has next door extended their driveway slightly over where you would expect your boundary to run? Is there a dog-leg or “kink” in the rear boundary that may suggest a boundary feature was moved? If so, it would be wise to consider raising this early on with your conveyancer.
- Check and see if there is anything out of the ordinary that may suggest a potential neighbour issue – sometimes this can be obvious like a neighbour parking right outside of the property blocking any driveway, or something slightly less obvious like the location of the neighbours’ bin storage that may suggest that the smell and flies in the summer may cause a nuisance.
- I would always recommend driving past a property several times at different times of the day. You can see whether there is sufficient parking and access after people return home from work at the end of the day, or at a weekend. Likewise, is it close to a school and so do parents park along the road when they collect and drop off children at school? Is it on a narrow road which is blocked of an evening with the cars being parked along the road?
- If you are buying a property on an estate or within a private courtyard area, check whether there is a management company that deals with the maintenance and upkeep of the drive/communal areas. The estate agents will often have this information, but it may be worth asking for copies of the minutes from any recent meetings that they may have held (e.g. the last AGM minutes). It is possible to learn from those minutes what problems seem to be prevalent – noise from flats in a block, rubbish bins being filled by neighbours from a different estate, dumping of cars in communal car parks, etc.
This is not an exhaustive list of suggestions, but we deem it a reasonable start. Once you find the ideal property for you, and you are considering offering, the next step would be to speak to your chosen conveyancer (also known as a residential property lawyer or solicitor). Estate agents can often recommend conveyancers that they work well with. That said, the personal connection is very important and I would advise speaking to the conveyancer to see whether you get a feeling of confidence from them.
At Wright Hassall we have a dedicated residential property team with a wealth of experience between us, and we are very keen to get to know you and your chosen property. We will ensure that you have a voice in the process, and that we listen to it. Similarly, we foster relationships with third parties – estate agents, surveyors, mortgage brokers and other professionals so that we can have open communication with them whilst dealing with your case.
As well as purchasing, we also deal with other residential property transactions – sales, remortgages, transfers of equity, bridging finance – so even if you decide that now isn’t the time to buy a property, we will be able to help you with anything else that you decide to do.
No matter what your property plans are, let’s all hope for an amazing spring and the start to a wonderful summer.
The information provided in this article is provided for general information purposes only, and does not provide definitive advice. It does not amount to legal or other professional advice and so you should not rely on any information contained here as if it were such advice.
Wright Hassall does not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on any information published here. Definitive advice can only be given with full knowledge of all relevant facts. If you need such advice please contact a member of our professional staff.
The information published across our Knowledge Base is correct at the time of going to press.
