With the festive season soon upon us, as a buyer you’ve probably already set a deadline of 25th December for when you’d like to move in. So, before you get lost in your busy schedules of parties and present buying, take note of these tips on how to increase your chances of moving before Christmas.
Choose a good solicitor
Good solicitors are worth their weight in gold, as the speed and efficiency of their service can cut (or add) weeks onto the buying process – which is critical at this time of year. You may have lots of questions about what’s happening and what you need to do, so it’s essential that your solicitor is up to scratch.
At Foxtons we recommend Conveyan, who are formed of a panel of handpicked solicitors that work hard to push the purchase along. Their service is no sale, no fee, which encourages a quicker process, ensuring you don’t lose time before the Christmas break and achieve a move in date before the 25th.
Arrange your mortgage
Before you start your property search, it is important to have a mortgage agreed in principle, which will help direct you in terms of price and area. This requires looking through and submitting documentation that you may not have to hand immediately. It’s good to get this paperwork out of the way before your time is taken up with viewing properties and so that you’re ready for the moment you put in an offer.
Using a mortgage broker like Alexander Hall will help cut down the time it takes to find the best mortgage rate, as they have access to some of the biggest lenders and are able to leverage deals that you won’t be able to find yourself.
Investigate the seller’s position
If you’re determined to move before Christmas, it’s essential that you know the position of the seller and how motivated they are to move. If you’re chain free, that’s good news for you, but if your seller isn’t, this can be a problem. Of course, it depends whether you’re willing to wait longer for the right property, or whether your move in date is more important.
But if you’re choosing between two properties and one is chain free, then this may increase your chances of moving before Christmas, as there are usually fewer stumbling blocks in the race to completion.
Organise the move before you even offer
While you may not have found your perfect home just yet, you could only be a few days away from stepping foot inside it. That's why it’s good to earmark things like removal companies and home insurance cover, so that you know which providers to go with once you’ve put in an offer.
"Efficiency is key at this time of year"
At this time of the year, being as efficient as possible is the main factor that will give you a good chance of moving before Christmas. But of course, there are many things that are out of your control and it may not always be possible.
But with these tips, you could increase your chances of moving before Christmas.
