We all know about the housebuyer's mantra of ‘location, location, location'. Typically, it means being in favoured residential areas, with decent access to amenities and transport links – while for those with children, being in a catchment area for a school with a good local reputation can be vital.
Depending on your lifestyle and your needs, it could mean having plenty of room for off-street parking or having rolling fields at the edge of your garden.
Undoubtedly the internet has become an important aid to scoping out homes-to-be. A generation ago, you had to view a long list of potential places to live – now you can use Google Maps, and especially the street view feature, to learn a lot about an area in five minutes.
Getting the widest picture possible of a potential home is important to the decision making process, because you will be taking on a major financial commitment with your mortgage . Check current mortgage rates and make sure your current mortgage deal represents good value. And if you’re generally concerned about rising living costs, you may like to consider a fixed-rate mortgage which will help you to know how much you will have to pay each month for a specified period. Early repayment charges apply during the fixed-rate period. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Of course, if you are really interested, you are still going to need to make a couple of viewings. But you can also use the internet to learn as much as possible about the more intangible aspects of the house search.
• Mobile signal – You may well have a landline at your home, but increasingly, we rely on our mobiles for convenience. So check whether you are to expect patchy coverage: communications watchdog Ofcom has a handy page which links to postcode checkers for the major networks. As with any online tools, bear in mind that they should only serve as a guide – you’d need to try out the coverage when you view.
• Mobile internet – As we increasingly use our phones for browsing the web, checking the mobile internet signal could be important – particularly if you don’t have Wi-Fi broadband at home.
• Broadband coverage – If you plan to use a laptop to work from home, using a digital device to stream or download data, or play online computer games, you will want to know that you are not in a so-called ‘not-spot’ – an area where there is currently no home broadband infrastructure. Again, there are online tools which will give you an idea of whether there’s likely to be a problem.
• Broadband speeds – Bear in mind that even if you are in a broadband-enabled area, speeds will differ between addresses in the same street. This can depend on your provider is, among other factors.
• Environmental issues – These will be highlighted when you get environmental and surveyor reports – but by that time you’ll be some way along the road to buying a property. Visit the Environment Agency’s interactive maps to get an idea of whether there are potential flooding or pollution problems in your area. For radon – an invisible but potentially harmful gas – check the Health Protection Agency’s reference site. If you are concerned about something you find, seek professional advice.
When you’ve bought that dream home, remember that early repayment charges apply during the fixed-rate period.Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
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