Housebuilder’s Key Steps To Success For First-Time Buyers

An award-winning major housebuilder in the East Midlands says preparation is key in the successful hunt for your first home.

As lockdown restrictions are slowly lifted, opportunities to get onto the property ladder and house-hunter interest in securing a new home are only increasing. For those currently renting or living with parents but looking to take a step onto the property ladder in the near future, Barratt Homes Northampton has revealed where they should start when buying their first home.

Taking a step into homeownership may seem daunting at first and often people don’t even know where to begin, but in this handy checklist, the five-star housebuilder has given its helpful hints and tips on how the process works to help you prepare during the current lockdown.

Alison Raine, sales director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “Buying a home is one of the single biggest investments a person will make in their lifetime and therefore it’s important to be prepared.

“Given the current circumstances and the fact that people are spending more time at home, there are lots of things they can start doing to best prepare themselves for their property search.

“Whilst most people are often overwhelmed by the buying process and don’t know where to start, we want to encourage as many first-time buyers as possible to get themselves onto the property ladder and purchase their first home with our expert guidance along the way.”

Get your finances and paperwork in order

If possible, use your time at home to calculate how much of a deposit you’ll have saved by the time it comes to buying your home. Create a savings plan if you don’t have one already so you can budget until it comes to reserving your home.

Make sure you’re aiming towards a home that is achievable in relation to your finances and that you have a strict budget in mind when it comes to looking for your new home.

It’s important to remember you’ll also need to budget for other moving costs such as moving and legal fees, but as a first-time buyer if your home is under £300,000 you won’t have to pay Stamp Duty.

Whilst organising your finances, create a folder to keep all of your recent pay slips and bank statements in as you’ll need these when it comes to your mortgage application.

Declutter your rented property

Even in rented accommodation, it’s important to make a house a home meaning it’s easy for your belongings to pile up and clutter the rooms. But whether renting or living at home, make sure to spend time now clearing away things you don’t need and putting things into storage that you’re saving for your own home. This will save time if you’re moving out, or make it easier for your landlord when it comes to viewings on the property.

Do your research and find your dream home

Now comes the fun bit – deciding what type of home you want. When it comes to choosing your home, make a list of priorities and have in mind how many bedrooms you would like and what sort of location works best for your lifestyle. As you already have your budget in mind, you’ll be able to cross reference this to not only the sort of home you feel you need, but the home you can afford, too.

This will help to narrow down your search when it comes to searching for your ideal home.

Barratt Homes has a variety of house type and development videos to help give you a sneak peek of the properties available. Make sure to check these out and note down some questions whilst watching them so you’re ready to go when the developments reopen and you can meet the onsite sales advisers.

Find out more about Barratt Homes Northampton developments.

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