Despite years of rising property prices, buying a home of your own is still something that many Britons consider to be an ambition they want to achieve. As reports regularly highlight the high and increasing cost of buying a home, it’s likely no real surprise to find that the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK has risen to 34, up from 28 just ten years ago.
The UK’s housing market has proven changeable in recent years. However, securing your hold on that first, or even the next rung of the property ladder, remains as tough as ever. At a time when prices are high and choice is often limited, it’s not always easy to get the home of your dreams on the first time of trying.
The New Year often brings a fresh start for many. Whether you’re looking to get your health or finances back on track, it could also be the perfect time to start searching for your dream home.
So if you’re considering moving home in 2019, check out our top ten things to consider before signing on the dotted line.
Following a recent BBC report into sub-standard mortar in new-build homes (read it here), it seems that ropey construction work might be more common than you’d think. Not only are housebuilders selling people homes that aren’t up to scratch, but there’s also a suggestion that they’re making compensation payments dependent on the customer signing a non-disclosure agreement (the notorious ‘gagging clause’) – meaning that it’s difficult to gauge the size of the problem.
Although it’s been around since the 1970s, it seems that shared ownership schemes are still poorly understood, particularly amongst the younger generation. When asked about the scheme, only 40% of 18-24 year olds were aware of it. A quarter of these didn’t know what shared ownership was, so that means only 1 in 3 young people even understands what shared ownership is and how it could help them.
The inaccurate measuring of property in the UK has led to new guidelines being introduced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). A consistent method of measuring houses, flats, and other property types for sale and letting means buyers and renters can rely on accurate information about the homes they’re considering.
