Rushing roulette - not if you plan

THE slowing housing market may be causing sleepless nights for some but if you are in a position to move quickly you can use it your advantage.

With the number of house sales down a reported 30 per cent on this time last year you can save time and cash if you can act swiftly.

Susan Tonge and partner Stephane Lefebure did just that and managed to find, buy and move into their dream home in an unbelievable FIVE weeks.

Susan said: "It went incredibly smoothly. People who have had house moving horror stories just cannot believe it. But it went without a hitch."

It also helped that the couple had done a lot of research, had their finances in place and approached their house hunting with military precision.

Susan said: "We lived in West Didsbury but knew that we would not be able to afford to buy a house there and we wanted a garden.

"So we looked at other locations and decided that Knutsford fulfilled all our criteria. I work in Altrincham so it is a good commute. My boyfriend is French and a country boy at heart so we wanted to be near the country.

"We took a six-month let on a two bed mews cottage just to make sure it was the area for us and to get to know it better. I would suggest that anyone considering moving areas does the same. It really helps you get a feel for the place.

"At the end of March we started thinking seriously about buying and went to see a financial advisor and fixed our budget at £160,000 and had a mortgage offer in place before we started actually looking at what property was available at the beginning of May."

Books

They targeted every agent requesting they be contacted as soon as a property came onto their books and in the next two weeks looked at 10 properties.

Susan said: "In the end we spotted the details of our house in the agents' window, went to see it immediately, loved it and put in an offer which they accepted.

"It is a two-bed, mid-terrace with a courtyard garden at the back and the couple selling it were moving down south so they also wanted a quick sale and could move out immediately."

From agreeing the deal it took three weeks to final completion with searches coming back within a week and no problems showing up on the Homebuyers' report they had done for the bank.

Susan said: "It really was that simple and our solicitor was very efficient but I have no doubt that a big part of that was down to everyone involved in house-buying at the moment being so quiet. The slower market certainly helped us."

Mark Evans is managing director of property developers MDA and he said: "Everyone has targets and with the market levelling off everyone is hungry for work.

"If you approach builders showing you have the finances in place and can complete a deal within seven days then you should be able to get a good discount.

"And we are seeing many deals reach completion at record speed because surveyors, solicitors and estate agents have more time to dedicate to each case."

Searches are often the weak link, but you can get a personal search done in 24 hours as long as you take out indemnity insurance to cover it. This is most suitable if you are buying on a large development where all other searches have been clear.

And most importantly get your money in place before you start - making sure you set enough aside for fees.