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Had your Offer Accepted? Here’s what to do next

Congratulations! Having your offer accepted can be a huge relief, as you’re a (big) step closer to moving into your dream home. With the relief comes an equal dose of butterflies-in-your-stomach, as in many ways the real work begins now.

Before you can officially call this home yours, there are a few steps still to be completed. Luckily, we’ll make it straightforward and simple to follow to ensure your exchange is as efficient and seamless as possible.

  1. Request to de-list the property: Once an offer has been accepted, it’s good practice to request to the estate agent that the property be taken off the market as soon as possible. Doing so reduces the chance of a competitor submitting a higher offer – the dreading “gazumping”. 
  1. Appoint a conveyancing solicitor: A conveyancing solicitor will be responsible for completing the legal aspect of this transaction from your side of the deal, so it is very important that you appoint the best quality solicitor within your budget, who will be aware of the searches and checks relevant to your property. These searches and checks on average take around 3 weeks to complete and all conveyancing solicitors should ideally be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Council of Licensed Conveyancers. A good solicitor can spot and avert problems early.
  1. Submit a mortgage application: This applies to most home buyers. For those who aren’t buying a property with cash, a mortgage will be needed to fund the purchase of a house which can take up to 6 weeks to complete. Your lender will require the necessary documentation such as: 
    1. Proof of ID
    2. Proof of address
    3. Proof of earnings
    4. Recent bank statements 

We recommend that you research the best mortgage offerings on the market, you can do so via our partner Trussle. Once you’ve found your preferred lender, we advise you to get an agreement in principle from them as this would support the offer your agent puts to the seller.

  1. Organise an independent survey from a RICS surveyor: Your chosen mortgage lender will arrange a valuation of the property to ensure it’s worth what you are offering to purchase it for. At times, there may be differences between the valuation report and what you’ve offered which may require you to go back and negotiate. For your own sake, we recommend organizing an independent surveyor to deliver a detailed report for your keeping. The physical surveys can take up to 8 hours, whilst you can expect a report to be delivered in 7-10 days.
  1. Exchange contracts and deposit payments: Once your searches have been completed, prices agreed and mortgage approved, the final step is to sign and complete on the exchange over the course of the day, which legally commits you to purchasing the property. You’ll be required to pay the deposit and from there, confirm date, completion and moving date.  Once this has been confirmed, your solicitor will ensure the mortgage funds are sent to the seller’s solicitors.
  1. Complete key collection and moving-in: Upon completion, the ownership of the house will be transferred to you, you can now pick up the keys and move-in. At this stage, we recommend that you plan ahead with your key collection, van removal and move-in date to minimise any further delays and fees. 

Altogether, this moving process should take anywhere from 12-15 weeks assuming things go smoothly with minimal delay. The process can seem quite long, but is well worth it when carried out properly, ensuring you can move with peace of mind. 

We hope this guide will provide you with enough information to confidently go through the property purchase process. If you have any questions that are holding you back – our team is here to help, so just reply to this email if you need any assistance!

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Leasehold vs Freehold – which is the better investment?

Choosing between freehold and leasehold properties has always been a concern for international investors who look to invest in the UK. leasehold properties seem to be a popular choice for many investors, but is it a better investment than freehold houses? Let’s dive into the main differences between leasehold and freehold, and uncover everything you need to know about these forms of ownership.

Period of ownership

The biggest difference between these two types of property ownership can be concluded in one sentence – owning the property outright or owning the property for a specific period and having a landlord. When you purchase a freehold property, you own the building and the lands it stands on outright, including the ground below and airspace above. Purchase of a freehold means you become a freeholder that has the right to renovate or refurbish the entire property to fit better with your needs. 

On the other hand, if you buy a leasehold property, you only have the right to live in or use the property for a particular period of time, equal to the number of years left of the lease. Depending on the type of property, the period of a lease agreement can vary from 10 to 999 years. The lease can be extended relatively cost-effectively as long as there are at least 80 or so years remaining on the lease. Although leaseholders have to pay for the lease, the ownership of the property and land it stands on will revert back to the freeholder at the end of the lease, unless the lease is extended or is bought from the freeholder.

Alterations to the property

With freehold properties, you will have to take the responsibility of maintaining the property, from daily maintenance to significant upgrades such as replacing roof tiles. From an investment perspective, this responsibility can be a burden, particularly if you are not in the UK and don’t have a local network of plumbers, electricians, and handymen. Hence many investors use services the services of property managers to assist in the property’s upkeep, but this means your financial return on your investment will need to account for the added cost of these services. Apart from the hassle of looking after the property, freehold has always been seen as an attractive investment choice for many investors, as investors have the right to make refurbishments, construct a house extension or, even rebuild the property without requiring the consent of the freeholder. Note that much of this type of work would still require permission from the local council before it can proceed! Renovations can add value to properties and a popular way of generating capital returns prior to the sale of a property. As a result, the demand for freeholds remains high.

In comparison, leasehold properties are often more restricted since leaseholders have to get permission from the freeholder to make certain significant changes or alterations to the property. The strictness on a property depends on the landlord: private landlords are usually more flexible and less restrictive than property development groups. On the other hand, freehold properties allow more flexibility for leaseholders in other ways. Investors purchasing a leasehold property will not have a direct responsibility to look after the maintenance of the property’s common areas. Nonetheless, leaseholders are still required to pay a ‘service charge’ to cover the cost of ongoing maintenance borne by the freeholder, as well as a  small ground rent annually. In recent years, more than 26% of leaseholders have felt that their freeholder is overcharging for the service charge, as the freeholder is not legally bound or even incentivised to search for the most cost-effective solutions to maintenance issues.

Leasehold versus Freehold: which one is right for you?

Every property is unique, as is every investor. In each case, there are several factors to consider, when deciding whether to invest in a leasehold or a freehold property:

Length of Lease: The shorter the lease, the less it is worth! A lease with zero years left is worthless, as the property will imminently revert back to the freeholder, and the lease extension will cost as much as buying a new property. As a general rule, the longer left on your lease the better. In fact, if more than 100 years are left of the lease, then the value of the property is very similar to the value of an identical Freehold property. 

Location of the property and rental yields: You should take into account the location and expected return of the property when making an investment decision.  Freehold seems to be a better option for many investors, however, not for all cases. A leasehold flat in Central London with a short lease may generate much more revenue than investing in a similar size freehold property outside of London. Leaseholds are extremely common in new-build developments, which in turn are very popular in investment hotspots such as cities and university towns. This often means that properties that are likely to have stable demand from tenants, lower void rates, and strong net yields. This can make for an attractive business case to invest in leasehold properties. On the other hand, freeholds are very common amongst traditional houses in suburban areas which may be popular for families, but may take a longer time to find a replacement tenant for.

Budget: Apart from the property itself, setting your investment budget is also essential. If you are on a tight budget and still want a strong capital return, leasehold may be more suitable for you. Many investors invest in undervalued short lease properties and extend the lease to gain a quick return. This is undoubtedly a risky strategy, as the market for properties with a low number of years remaining on the lease is relatively illiquid. 

Transaction length and costs: Another point which is often ignored by many investors is that during the purchasing process, the legal fees for conveyancing leasehold properties generally cost more than for freehold properties, as more work needs to be done. In addition to the higher cost, the conveyancing process often takes a longer time, With the average transaction time for leasehold properties taking around 12 weeks. 

Regulation changes: New rules to reduce the downsides of leaseholding are currently being debated by the UK government, to create a newer ‘commonhold’ ownership. Under the proposed rules, commonhold would give owners the freehold ownership of their own property, eliminate the risk of the ownership reverting to the freeholder at the end of the lease, and enable self-management by the owners.

Ultimately, there is no superior investment option between a freehold and leasehold property, and the different characteristics of these two forms of ownership make them fit for different purposes and needs. Only you can decide which is best suited to you!

If you find this article interesting and useful, why not begin your search for your ideal leasehold or freehold investment property on our smart property search platform?

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Old House vs. New Build?

When talking about investing in a property, some people are immediately drawn to newly-furnished, modern houses, and some yearn for the charm of old houses. If you are considering investing in a property in London or in the UK, then this is the article for you! This article breaks down the pros and cons for both newer and older homes to help you decide which one is more suitable for your investment.

The benefits of buying a newly built property are quite straightforward – nothing can compare to buying something brand new, being able to customise and decorate the house into your dream home.

  • It is satisfying to live in a newer home, especially if you are a neat freak – being the first to take a shower and sleep in the bedroom. And suppose you are a first-time buyer, with the government’s help-to-buy scheme. In that case, the financial burden on you is much more comfortable, the new-built house is such a perfect blank canvas to start your new life in.
  • Another advantage of new builds is they are a lot more energy efficient than older properties, often having better insulation and double-glazed windows and doors. This saves you a vast amount of money in bills and potentially the need for further improvements to make your home more environmentally friendly. 
  • Most new builds come with a guarantee from the builder company. The ten-year warranty and protection scheme helps reduce maintenance costs and stress, particularly suitable for investors who are thinking of letting out their homes.
  • If you are a young professional, part of a young family or plan to rent out your property to these groups, then new builds are suitable for you as they are specifically designed to fit for modern families. Most new houses have spacious open-plan dining-living-kitchen areas with fewer walls which provides greater accessibility for the occupiers and usually more desirable for families with young children. And an open-plan design allows natural light to flood into the room and make space seem more extensive and comfortable.

New-build sounds just perfect for you, right? However, apart from these great benefits that new builds can offer, there are also some disadvantages you need to consider:

  • Although new builds are designed to conform with the lifestyle of modern families, bedrooms and gardens are reduced in their sizes to accommodate a bigger for kitchen-living spaces. This is because developers believe, due to the change in people’s lifestyle, that younger generations would prefer to go out for fun other than have a sunbath and relax in the garden. 
  • Adjustments in regulation standards put new builds in a disadvantageous position when compared to old houses. The walls of most new homes are thinner: lightweight walls finished with plasterboard, meaning that you might be facing noise issues in the future with thin and hollow walls. Furthermore, the ceiling heights tend to be lower than period houses, so some have complained that they feel space-constrained in these homes because of this.
  • New builds usually cost, on average, 20% more than older properties and some benefits may be lost upon purchase. Its value depreciates on the day you buy the house as it is no longer considered ‘brand new’ and other buyers may choose to buy another new build over a second-hand new home. If you are thinking of holding the home for only a few years, it is essential to consider its future values.

Now, let’s talk about the charm of period houses! People have various opinions about purchasing old homes as an investment: some worry about the quality of these homes that were potentially many years ago, and others about whether there is any room for an increment in the value. In the UK, the market for older homes is enormous compared to newly built houses. For sure, you will reconsider your views on older homes after reading this section.

  • A significant strength of an older home is space. According to BBC: “the average size of a UK home – including both older and new-build properties is 85 sq. m. and has 5.2 rooms” whereas the average size of new homes “is 76 sq. m. and has 4.8 rooms”. As space can be such a scarce resource nowadays, for the same price, an older home is usually much bigger, including both internal and external areas (gardens, garages, etc.)
  • Older homes are a lot more suitable for car owners who live far from a central city. They have ample parking space and driveway.
  • Another charming feature of a period home is the uniqueness – in comparison to all similar-looking new-builds, period homes always bring some individuality,  like the symmetrical look of Georgian style and coloured bricks of Victorian style homes. The mixture of architectural styles in London attracts many people to live in London.
  • When comparing a new-built with an older home, which are both similar in size and location, then the older home has more potential to increase in value in the future.

If you think an older property sounds great to invest in, remember that there are also some drawbacks that you have to be careful with.

  • A common downfall of older homes is the need for renovations. You can always find yourself with some houseworks that might need to be done: cracks on the ceiling, or changing a timber under the floor, or even refurbishing the whole house as the design and decorations are usually old-fashioned. 
  • On top of repair and refurbishment, many old homes are much less environmentally friendly than new-builds; the old heating systems and thinner insulation layers can lead to higher energy bills and carbon emissions. 
  • Costs of renovation are high. For example, changing the central heating system for a 3-bedroom house will cost around £4000. From an investment perspective, although the old homes cost less upon purchase, they usually cost more in repair and maintenance.

There is no obvious winner between new-builds and period properties, it is all down to own personal preferences. It is best to stay open-minded to all options on the market, conduct thorough research and make accurate financial calculations before deciding to place an offer!