House Buying in London
It can be incredibly exciting to buy a residential property in London. However, given that a house purchase is probably the biggest investment that you will ever make, it’s also necessary to take care when you are browsing the many houses for sale in London. Here are some of our essential tips to bear in mind.
Location is as important as ever!
With the English capital being as large as it is, it goes without saying (we would hope!) that its various areas can greatly differ. Your budget will obviously be a great influence on where you buy, but so will such factors as the proximity of local schools and the ready availability of local work, not to mention closeness to any friends or family already living in the city.
Consider your future plans as well as your present needs. You may not have children right now, for example, but is it a possibility in future? And if so, are you satisfied by the reputation of local schools and the suitability of the area as a place to raise children? Have you considered the local crime statistics, for example?
What type and size of property are you interested in?
Naturally, many people choose to move house in the first place so that they can better accommodate what may be a growing family. It’s important to remember, however, that London is fairly cramped and a great amount of space in a property can be very hard to find. It pays, then, to be flexible, considering how much space you need rather than what you merely want.
Similarly, you might want to ask yourself whether you’d prefer an older or new property. The latter, after all, will probably be more energy-efficient and easier to personalise to your own exact needs as far as the décor and certain other aspects are concerned.
Don’t forget local transport links
Related to our above point about location, you may want to pay particular attention to the home’s proximity to transport links, like tube and train stations. After all, there are many things that you can do to improve a home’s presentation, and there may even be possibilities to add more space in the form of a house extension or loft conversion... but the home’s closeness to transport is beyond your control.
This should be an especially great priority for buy-to-let investors, given the great numbers of tenants that prefer to live within ten minutes of a tube or train station that gives them easy access to central London.
If you are based in London and looking to relocate to a different area, then check out our London removals page, you'll find a great bunch of recommended removal companies listed.
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