Where to Buy? Check out the Area.

Moving house is a big deal for everyone in the family. Perhaps you are moving for a new job, to be closer to family or just for more space. Whatever the reason everyone will feel the wrench so making the best move is really important. Here are some ideas on where to buy your house to get it right for you all.

  1. Rural or urban. What will suit you best? Maybe an idyllic chocolate-box village for a young family complete with dinky twin childrens beds in the cottage and a Labrador to boot, or perhaps an airy loft apartment at the top of a sky scraper?!
  2. Outside space. Several acres to keep a horse, a lawn to kick a football, a deck for your barbecue or a roof terrace for sunbathing – the choice is yours.

  3. Park it up. How many cars and other vehicles do your family have, and how many visitors? A big driveway will save future headaches if you have multiple cars.
  4. What is it near? If you have a constant urge to shop then a housing estate adjacent to a retail park with great branches of Sleepmasters and so on could be just the thing.

  5. How will you commute? Car, bus, train or under your own steam – suss out your route to work and time it at rush hour to experience the worst case scenario.

  6. Good schools. Whether you have children or not, houses within the catchment area of the best schools will always re-sell well.

  7. Crime stats. What are they like for the area and do you need to worry or install extra security measures? Have a look at your neighbours too.

  8. Day, night and weekends. Visit the area at various times during the week and weekend to get a feel for what goes on and where the local youth hang out.

Attractive House For Sale: Top Ten Tips

Selling a house is a tricky business. You have to get the right estate agent, hit the market at the right time with the right price, and above all get lucky with who comes to view. There are however a few things which you can do to help: here are my top ten tips on how to make your property attractive for sale…

  1. Get your plans in order. A house which is not in a chain is the most attractive to buyers so work out if you can rent or stay with family in order to free up your current property.

  2. Decide who you are aiming at. Dress the house to suit the most likely buyers and market accordingly.

  3. Get the outside looking spot on. First impressions count so tidy up the garden, paint the front door and make any other general repairs.

  4. Show you care and they will care too. If your house is well looked after – polished bed frames, dust-free skirting boards and super shiny mirrors then the feel good factor will wow potential buyers.

  5. Hide any oddities! If you have a strange hobby or like to sleep downstairs instead of up then tuck quirky possessions away and put the house back in a more traditional order. Bedrooms need beds so visit Sleep Masters if you need to buy new ones.

  6. De-clutter to create space. Make the house look bigger by clearing out or clearing away clutter in every room. You will feel better for it too!

  7. Contain your pets. If you own a gigantic dog remember that not everyone will agree with you on how adorable he is. Clean up pet hair and ideally send him out on a long walk with a friend at viewing time.

  8. Think about parking. If parking is tight, make sure you leave a space for your visitors so the problem is not highlighted before they even make it into your house. Park your car in the next street if necessary!

  9. Freshen up. A lick of paint is easy and cheap but can make all the difference so get to work!

  10. Lighten up. Bright bulbs will make the place look cheery so change up if you need to and give everyone a nice warm welcome.

Where to buy….

Buying Property in the USA

Buying Property in the USA

Of course choosing where to buy by itself offers, well, the whole world and where do you begin? All countries experience fluctuations in their property prices. If you’re looking for a bargain do some research into where the best value properties are. Property in the United States at the moment is very fairly priced. [Read more...]