Starting on property buying path...

funkey_monkey

I'm looking to start down the road of purchasing my first property. I've managed to save a sizeable deposit so I believe a mortgage will not be an issue for me.

My problem is quite a strange one - I'm not really 'interested in property' as such. I would love my own home and would take care of it an maintain it, but I just have no interest in the house buying process.

I've rented for all of my working life and now the area I am in is getting so noisy that I've finally decided to move out of the centre into suburbia and in my mid 30's I feel it is now time buy instead of renting.

As a single person I want my own space - so am looking for a semi detached with garage. One of my concerns is that I might feel a bit isolated and 'lost' in many of the semi detached properties for sale as they seem a bit big for a single person.

Although I've been in this city many years, I do not have many people I can call on in order to help me with this - so I've decided to logon here and see if someone can give me some pertinent information or inspire me with the property buying process.

For info, I'm in Belfast...

Thanks,

marmitequeen

Hi, not sure what you are after from the site (lovely though it is). You're the one who has to go and view properties and you're the one who will know if you can live somewhere.

My top tip would be research the area/location TOTALLY. I once made a terrible error and fell in love with house (3 bed semi with garage and I was single...) House was brilliant but ASBO neighbours weren't. It's been location every time since that year of horror.

Go out and have a play. Enjoy it!

MQ x

PasturesNew

Go and look at a load. While you're not looking, you won't get interested. Keep an eye out for smaller/nice places. There aren't many, but if you see a lot of stuff that's not what you want, then when you do see what you want you'll know it's right because you've already viewed 100 duds.

tyllwyd

I don't really quite understand what you mean when you say that you have 'no interest in the house buying process'. This is quite probably the most expensive purchase you have ever made, and it will be the place you will be living, possibly for a good few years. How can you not be interested in getting it right?

I think the best place to start is probably by going to have a look at a few places. If you really aren't bothered, then you shouldn't need to look at more than two or three properties, one of them should be fine. But once you actually start looking, you'll probably find that when it comes to it you do have a feeling for what you like/don't like.

Made_Without

funkey_monkey wrote: »

As a single person I want my own space - so am looking for a semi detached with garage. One of my concerns is that I might feel a bit isolated and 'lost' in many of the semi detached properties for sale as they seem a bit big for a single person.

Have you considered a bungalow / cottage?
Usually smaller in size but your very own garage / garden.

C*F

funkey_monkey

Thanks for all the replies. I've got neighbours from hell at the minute - students who party every night. I'm not getting much sleep and it's starting to depress me as I've got quite used to where I live. Now, I think I'll have to move out into a rental somewhere else.

c*f - bungalow/cottage are not readily avaialble in the area I am looking at.

TBH - I've went around and looked at areas but I can't really spot from them the tell tale signs of a good/bad area. I don't have many friends in this city so I don't have a network of people I can ask about areas and which developments should be avoided or pursued.

I understand that this is a big decision. I nearly got my fingers burnt in 07 when I almost completed in a situation similar to marmitequeen. It has scared me as I was really niave about the whole process and still am. I've got noone who can help guide me through this process.

I'm frustrated and embarassed that i can't seem to sort this out.

Thundercat_2

I don't know what your financial situation is, but maybe you could find out if there's a property search company in Belfast? It might be worth spending a bit of your large deposit to get someone who can really help with finding the sort of property you want and advise about areas etc?

carefullycautious

wouldnt it be easier to rent somewhere again in the area you eventually choose so that you can 'Try before you buy' so to speak

Thats what I would do

Chakani

I would second renting in the area you want to buy if you're not sure, we have done this for the last year while we've been looking for our ideal house (offer going in on one today, fingers crossed). As we've got to know the area, we have ruled out certain parts, and started to consider others we hadn't before, because we really know them now.

It does seem confusing and overwhelming to start with, and I did feel like sticking my head in the sand and hoping the whole thing would just sort itself out around me, but as we got more into it, it felt easier and easier. We became very clear on what we did and didn't want, but only because we looked at dozens of properties. We started off by looking at anything and everything in our price band with the right number of bedrooms, and gradually got more specific.

Good luck with your search.

tyllwyd

funkey_monkey wrote: »

... TBH - I've went around and looked at areas but I can't really spot from them the tell tale signs of a good/bad area. I don't have many friends in this city so I don't have a network of people I can ask about areas and which developments should be avoided or pursued. ...

I'd agree that it is very important to understand what kind of area you are buying in, especially in a city.

You could try starting a thread specifically asking for advice on Belfast. And I'd start buying a local newspaper every week - it feels like a horribly middle aged thing to do, but it is good for getting a feel for which areas see most trouble, where developments are planned etc. And you can look through the property pages, again to get a general feeling for what's available and what typical prices are.

pinkteapot

carefullycautious wrote: »

wouldnt it be easier to rent somewhere again in the area you eventually choose so that you can 'Try before you buy' so to speak

Thats what I would do

Exactly what I was going to suggest. Unless there is an area you know well, it can be a good idea to rent first as it's the only way to really get to know a place.