Easter weekend – Extra days off help house hunters

The housing market moves into full swing during late spring/early summer. Those who are about to start house-hunting in earnest, and those whose houses have been on the market a while but received little interest, should take advantage of RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) advice this Easter.

RICS spokesman, Jeremy Leaf, says: “Easter is a time when the residential market begins to heat up with families searching for new home for the summer. Many people involved in the 1.2 million house sales which take place in the UK every year are overwhelmed by the process of buying or selling a home. Whilst we cannot remove the stress involved in moving house, RICS can provide clear, easy to understand advice.

“With 20,000 of our members working across all areas of the residential market; from building surveying to estate agency and lettings, we want people to think property advice, think Chartered Surveyor.”

RICS produces a series of free consumer guides aimed at explaining how the buying and selling process works and how to avoid surprises.

Each guide covers the questions most frequently asked by the public in relation to buying your home, selling your home and understanding property surveys.

The most common buyer pitfalls:

Failing to get an ‘in principle’ mortgage offer from a lender and finding out the true value of your present home before starting your search

Going for a property beyond your price limit

Being undecided about exactly what you want from your new home - number of bedrooms, size of rooms - and most importantly the preferred location

Not thoroughly researching the area of the property for sale – the local amenities, neighbourhood

Relying on the mortgage valuation as a record of the condition of the property and not paying for a professional survey of the property undertaken by a Chartered Surveyor

Failing to find a good solicitor to act quickly on your behalf when you find your dream property.

Common seller pitfalls:

Failing to pull together all official documents – title deeds, land registration documents before putting your property on the market– a house with a boundary dispute will not sell

Neglecting the obvious things like keeping the house and garden tidy and keeping the pets at bay

Making it difficult for people to view your property at the most convenient times to them – e.g. weekends and evenings

Being unclear about what is part of the sale and what is not included – this just irritates the potential buyer

Forgetting that whatever price the property is sold for – you will need to deduct stamp duty, solicitor and estate agency fees, and after June 1 you will need to budget for the additional cost of a Home Information Pack (HIP).

The guides are available online at rics.org/usefulguide