Register with Thornes NOW!

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to register your details and requirements:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on this page to register your details.

Your budget

As well as the actual property price there are other costs involved. These will include: Solicitors fees, Searches, Land registry, lenders application fees & Survey fee.

Have a look at www.yourmortgage.co.uk to workout your own budget.

(We can not advise you on your specific mortgage requirements – always seek independent financial advice for you individual circumstances)

Your needs

Make a list of your requirements, minimum number of bedrooms, location to schools, are you prepared to update etc. If you’re not sure about FREEHOLD or LEASEHOLD please read our guide by clicking on the Tenure tab above.

Start searching

Register with us and use our recommended internet websites www.rightmove.co.uk and www.southernpropertyfinder.com and make your short list of properties to view.

Arrange Viewings

Print our Viewing Checklist for each property you are going to view, and make notes about each home – it’s almost impossible to remember everything about a property and these notes will help keep you focused on the important parts. Also check out our Top Tips tab above for more advice about what to look out for.

At this stage it may also be useful to have a look at www.upmystreet.co.uk and www.homecheck.co.uk to find out about a specific area. Even if you have lived there all your life, you never know what you might have missed?

Offer

Before making your first offer we will want to know:

1. If you have anything (property or land) to sell before you are able to move?
2. If you have the cash or if the purchase will be financed by the bank?
3. The timescale that you have in mind (especially if you have a holiday planned, or work commitments to work around. A sale can take between 8-12 weeks to complete so you will need to advise us of your plans)?

Offer accepted

Well done, now that have your offer accepted you should speak to your bank and solicitor. If at this stage you have not decided on which solicitor to use we can recommend several for you to compare quotes. Use the contact form on the right of this page to get in touch.

Legal

The legal process is closely monitored by us to make sure that things run smoothly. You will receive a letter outlining all the steps with advice on making the transaction run smoothly.

If you havent already, now is the time to register with www.moveme.com who will inform everyone you could possibly think of (local council, bank, magazine subscriptions, electric, gas, water, phone, TV, broadband, etc.) about your planned move. This can be a really useful service and most importantly, it’s FREE!

Exchange

This is the legally binding part and there is no turning back, a deposit is paid and moving dates are confirmed, you can now start to pack.

Make sure your new home is insured – check with your solicitor or mortgage broker.

Completion

The moving day is here, all the planning and hard works finally pays off! Your solicitors transfers the money from their account to the sellers solicitors account and the property becomes yours.

Take the gas, electric, and water readings, look around the property to make sure nothing has been taken that shouldn’t have, have they left all manuals for the boiler, alarm, cooker etc, and that there is no rubbish or junk left behind from the previous owners, don’t forget to check the loft.

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to register your details and requirements:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on this page to register your details.

New Properties

New properties are very popular and offer lots of advantages:

• They need less upkeep early on
• Fitted kitchens, bathrooms and flooring are often included in the asking price – and you can usually choose the style and colour of fittings
• Some builders also offer a range of home exchange schemes and deals on moving costs
• Building regulations for new properties set high standards of insulation, which means your home should be more energy efficient and less expensive to run.

Most new homes are covered by a National House Building Council (NHBC) Buildmark or equivalent certificate. This provides a 10-year guarantee, but it’s not comprehensive, so don’t assume it covers everything. To find out more visit the NHBC website.

Older Properties

If you want to buy an older property, we’d strongly advise having a building survey first. As a qualified RICS member THORNES will find out if there are any hidden structural problems, and could help you avoid spending a small fortune to fix things at a later date.

When you buy an older property for renovation, you need to check building regulations carefully – THORNES can help ensure this is done accurately and professionally.

Some major building repairs may also need permission from your local authority building regulations department.

Before you buy a property to renovate, work out the total cost of repairs on top of the initial outlay and then decide whether the property is still worth renovating.

Listed buildings

In the case that the property is a listed building, or in a conservation area, any work you do on it may be restricted and you may have to follow certain guidelines.

The scope for any structural change could be extremely limited and you’ll need to discuss any proposals with your local planning authority.

You may also have to get consent from English Heritage (or Welsh Heritage/CADW) before work can begin.

Specialist advice from RICS members

Any RICS member specialising in construction, restoration or conservation can help you with:

• Property extensions – designing alterations and additions and applying for planning permission
• Re-planning property – advising you how to demolish or erect structural walls and other building elements
• Any work affecting boundary or party walls with your new neighbours
• Safety features, including means of escape
• Energy Performance recommendations and certificates. Repairing listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas.

If you want to know more about party walls, visit the RICS website for a detailed explaination.

Register with THORNES NOW!

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to register your details and requirements:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on this page to register your details.

Tenure – Freehold, Leasehold, Commonhold and Shared Ownership

Freehold

If you buy a property freehold, it means you have full ownership of the property until you decide to sell it.

Freehold properties are usually houses with gardens.

Leasehold

If you buy a leasehold property, it means you have part ownership and the right to live there for a fixed time only – usually either 99 or 125 years (999 years or longer in Northern Ireland).

Leasehold properties are generally flats and maisonettes. A landlord owns the freehold of the building, but doesn’t have access to your flat unless invited.

The value of a lease decreases with time, but you can usually extend your lease or buy a new one.

Many building societies and banks may have restrictions on granting mortgages where leases are below 70 years. As a RICS member THORNES can give you more information about this.

You’ll also probably have to pay ground rent on leasehold property, and if it’s a flat or maisonette, you may have to pay a service charge to cover repairs and cleaning of shared areas.

Before you buy a leasehold property, get your solicitor to check:

• How much these extra charges are
• Whether you have to pay them in advance
• If a management company is responsible for collecting payment
• Whether building maintenance is managed by the freeholder
• Any future costs, such as re-roofing, exterior redecoration, replacement of lifts or communal heating boilers.

Commonhold

Leaseholders have the right to convert from leasehold to commonhold if they buy out the landlord, in both new and existing buildings.

Commonhold provides a different management structure for blocks of flats and other interdependent buildings with shared services and common areas.

Please note that common hold does not exist in Northern Ireland, but leaseholders have a right to buy out their ground rent.

Shared ownership

Housing associations offer shared ownership as a part-buy part-rent way to own a property.

You pay a mixture of mortgage and subsidised rent, making the homes affordable for those on or below average incomes.

If you start to earn more, you can increase your shares in your home, and have the option of owning the property outright.

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to register your details and requirements:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on this page to register your details.

Top Tips

It's a good idea to look round several properties and get a feel for the market before you buy.

First impressions count for a lot – but you should view a property at least twice, preferably at different times of the day, to give you a better idea of what’s on offer.

Have a look at www.upmystreet.co.uk and www.homecheck.co.uk to find out about an area, even if you have lived there all your life, you will always find out something you didn’t know.

Download our Viewing Checklist.

Here are a few things to think about to make sure the property you are viewing meets with your requirements:

• Nearby main roads, pubs, clubs or restaurants – they can be handy, but also noisy!
• Nearby railway lines or overhead flight paths
• The feel of the community – does it seem friendly?
• The aspect of the house – does it get enough light?
• Is the property well maintained?
• The age of the property
• Garden size
• The condition of nearby properties.

On the inside, check to see whether:

• The property needs updating – and if so, how much?
• Everything works – like the lights, taps, plugs and windows
• The rooms are big enough
• The fixtures and fittings are going to be included in the sale – especially if you like them
• You like the views
• It feels like home.

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to register your details and requirements:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on this page to register your details.

Viewing Checklist

Our useful Checklist is for you to print out and take with you on viewing’s, whether the property is available through THORNES or another agent or privately.

Make a note of as much information as possible, it is amazing how much you forget by the time you get home. Whilst viewing the property if you see anything that concerns you we would be pleased to assist you in carrying out a Homebuyers Survey of the property, please call to discuss on 01202 684004 or email us using the Contact us form on the right of this page.

Simply click on the link below to open up a PDF (Portable Document Format) of our Viewing Checklist in a new window (make sure that your pop-up blocker allows pop-ups from our site before you do this).

Once the PDF has opened, save it to your computer and print it off for every property you go to see.

Get the Viewing Checklist by clicking here.

If you do not have a PDF reader on your computer, you can download one in just a few clicks by clicking on the Get Adobe Reader button below.

Find out more about Sales Particulars.

Simply call Luke, our resident Sales expert, on the number below to arrange a suitable time to meet:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, use the Contact us form on the right and we will be in touch shortly.

Sales Particulars

We use the ‘Mobile Agent’ (lazer measuring device and PDA software for accurate inputing of dimensions) to take precise details of your property, along with a high quality digital camera for internal & external shots of your home.

The details and imagery then feeds directly into our Estate Agency system "DezRez". Within five minutes of returning to the office we can email your house particulars to all suitable applicants and send full printed details to other applicants.

In addition to this we will phone all suitable buyers about your property and try to arrange immediate viewings on your home.

Your property will benefit from accurate well-presented sales particulars, multiple photos (in the brochure and online), floor plans, square footage, compass directions and if requested a 1-2 minute video tour of your property or development. Copies of which will be sent to you for approval.

• Good quality details are vital in order to give potential purchasers a feel good factor about your property.
• The details are produced in full colour with your choice of internal and external photographs.

If you are looking to sell your property, THORNES can provide the Full Sales Service. From marketing advice and insight on current trends through to Professional Details, on-line Video Presentation and Floor Plans, we are experts at providing the on-line presence required in today's sales environment.

Floor Plans

All the measurements are taken with a laser guide to insure accurate details can be given in feet as well as meters, we are also able to advise the buyer of the square footage of your property.

Every property brochure includes FREE floor plans and a compass direction allowing the potential purchaser to have an accurate guide before viewing your home.

Find out more about Video Tours.

Simply call Luke, our resident expert, on the number below to arrange a suitable time to meet:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, use the Contact us form on the right and we will be in touch shortly.

Video Tours

With all good Estate Agents now advertising online, multipul photos, floor plans and maps, how do you insure more people see your property??? With an Online Video Tour.

Each Tour is prepared on site by us, and will have your approval before going online.

If you wish to keep the tour private we can ensure only registered and approved applicants can view.

Find out more about Sales.

Simply call Luke, our resident sales expert, on the number below to arrange a suitable time to meet:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, use the Contact us form on the right and we will be in touch shortly.

Viewings

With regard to potential purchasers viewing your property, we will be pleased to accommodate arrangements you are comfortable with. All appointments will be vetted as thoroughly as possible; we also like to accompany our viewings allowing us to do the selling for you.

Feed Back

After each and every viewing a log of the applicants thoughts both positive and negative is recorded on file. We will report any immediate issues that you can rectify, and follow up each viewing with a contact phone call or email and report back any offers received and comments made.

It is possible to report back at the end of each week, with the full list of viewings that have taken place and comments made if preferred.

All of this helps us monitor the publics reactions, and will tailor all advise on the marketing of the property to the right buyer.

Find out more about Sales.

Simply call Luke, our resident sales expert, on the number below to arrange a suitable time to meet:

(01202) 684004

Alternatively, use the Contact us form on the right and we will be in touch shortly.

Reporting

It is our aim to provide you with as much feed back as possible, and we will endeavour to update you after viewings have taken place to let you know the positive and negative comments.

This will run in conjunction with constant assessment of progress and our marketing strategy and we will contact you at certain intervals during the period of our instruction to let you know our thoughts, but if at any time you want to ring us we can give you an immediate update on the number of viewings and feedback, amount of website hits and mail outs that have been actioned on your home.