If you are relocating or buying from abroad, then trying to house hunt adds a whole new level of stress. Here’s how we can help you with that…..
Getting Started
In an ideal world, two years before you make the actual move, you should be making some key decisions. These include schooling, commute, lifestyle factors and distance and access to family.
It’s absolutely possible to start the process closer to the move date but those timings that at one point seemed so far away, can rapidly approach once you start trying to align school term dates, shipping of belongings and completion dates.
While the UK academic year runs from September to July and many parents like to be in situ for the beginning of the school year. However, this is not as set in stone as you think and in our experience, particularly with primary school aged children, many schools will take children midway through the school year and younger children are incredibly adaptable.
Is buying from abroad just too much of a risk?
‘Should I buy or should I rent first?’ is a question often raised by our overseas clients. Understandably, buying from abroad can be totally overwhelming, particularly if moving to an area of the UK that you don’t really know. With the right team acting as your ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground, however, it is entirely possible to buy a property from overseas.
If you want more flexibility and you don’t know how long you are back for because you are relocating for a school or a job then, our insider knowledge of the rental market means we get to hear of all the best rentals before they are advertised. If we have a current client in one and they are ready to move on, that too gives us an advantage on your behalf.
Buying a house is a huge investment and we understand that this is probably the largest financial transaction that you will ever make. There is so much to consider and from afar its difficult to react to viewings quickly or know for sure that the location offers you everything you need. With us providing you with the right knowledge, buying abroad needn’t be a risky move. A good search agent will take the time to really get to know you and get to grips with your search criteria. We will not only give you an in-depth overview of all houses that are previewed on your behalf, but also will provide all the extra due diligence adding an extra layer of security to your purchase.
It can also be helpful to have a UK based family member of friend joining the us, the search agent on viewings of houses we have identified as real prospects, they will often instinctively know if a house is suitable which can offer real reassurance to you, the buyer.
How does the service work if we’re abroad?
We begin with an online face to face meeting, where you get a chance to meet us and determine if we are the right fit for your search and can answer all the questions you have about us and our service. We can also give you an overview of the UK house buying process, if you haven’t bought here before, and run through the schools application process, which can seem complicated and daunting if you’re not familiar with how it works.
If you are unable to come over and view properties in person, we can do all our communications on video calls and send you detailed videos of the viewings of the houses that we think are worth considering.
If you are able to come over for a visit before we start the search, we will give you a full orientation tour of all the areas we think you should consider. We can pick you up from the airports/ train stations and arrange taxis and/ or accommodation if required. In addition we can act as a concierge and help you to tie in your school visits.
When we find the property you would like to buy, we can introduce you to our black book of contacts that you may need to appoint, from interior designers to architects, planners and tradespeople. We will also handle all the purchase negotiations for you and engage all the relevant professional services including solicitors, mortgage advisors, planning consultants and surveyors – all you need to make sure that the purchase proceeds smoothly.
We can even arrange for somebody to meet the removals team and unpack for you so your house is ready to go when you arrive and you can get on with enjoying your new life back in the UK!
If you’re thinking about making a move back to the UK get in touch for a no obligation chat to see how we might be able to help you make it happen.
