Making An Offer On A Property You Like

You've been searching the market for weeks, months and possibly even years and you've found it. The property of your dreams! But how do you go about making an offer? When it comes to submitting your offer to an agent, this can be done verbally, either over the phone or in person, or in writing. If you opt to do it verbally, you might be asked to confirm your offer in writing. This can normally be done over email and is just for the agent's records. The offer you make then must be passed by the agent to the current owner for them to consider. THINGS TO CONSIDER Here we've listed some things you should be aware of as buyer: Preparation - if you can have a mortgage agreement in principle, you'll be more appealing to sellers. This is because it shows you are reliable, organised and serious about buying their property. It's also good practice to have your solicitor in place so that the agent can take their details at the point of making the offer. Confidence - the property market is just that, a market. You are making an offer based on what you are willing and able to afford, which you have the right to do so. Therefore, have confidence in your offer and do not apologise if it's not what you've been lead to believe the vendor is looking for. Chains - buyers who are chain free have an advantage over other buyers. So good news if you're a first-time buyer, buyer with no chain or a buyer who has a pre-arranged mortgage. Speed - if you are prepared and chain free you should be able to complete the purchase quicker which might be of benefit to the seller. Price - some sellers are not looking for speed. They might be more willing to wait and get a better price, maximising their return. NEGOTIATION As previously mentioned, this is a market. Therefore, there could be some negotiation between yourself and the seller, so be prepared for that. Set a limit - before you start the negotiations, set an upper-limit you are not willing to pass and stick to it. Research - look at similar properties and what prices they sold for. But also look at properties that are still up for sale. The more understanding you have the more confident you can be in your offer. Understand the property - if you can understand how much the property will cost you to run, how much needs to be spent on repairs and how much it will cost to make it your own, then you'll be in a better position. This is because you'll know what you can afford when the negotiations start. In addition to this, the agent is required to be transparent. As a result, they will let you know if there are other people that are also interested in the same property. But be careful this doesn't cause you to make rash decisions. MAKING THE OFFER Once you make an offer make it clear that it is: Subject to contract (STC) - only once lawyers have exchanged contracts will the sale take place. Subject to survey - this allows for the cost of any faults or issues to be considered once your surveyor has had chance to look at the property. If your offer is accepted, check to make sure the property has been taken off the market. This is because if other interested parties see it and view it, they may be able to gazump your offer. If you don't receive a letter from the agent confirming your offer, make sure to chase them for one. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10146801