Why?

Buying a house is usually the most important purchase anyone makes in their life, not just in financial terms but also in personal terms, for the property becomes a home that shapes all the lives within it. Yet house-hunting is generally undertaken in an imperfect and random manner; it is a hit-or-miss affair. And unfortunately, while house-hunting  begins with great enthusiasm it often deteriorates into a time-wasting and dispiriting chore that can be expensive in itself.

Property sellers employ estate agents to work on their behalf and they are paid huge sums for their efforts. Estate agents may forge sympathetic links with potential buyers but their contracts and allegiances remain with the vendors. At Surrey Homesearch we think that house buyers should also have property professionals working on their behalf.

The Property Misdescriptions Act (1991) was introduced to assist property purchasers by making it an offence for estate agents to describe a property inaccurately. Paradoxically, in many ways the Act has hindered house buyers, as agents are now so fearful of misdescribing a property, sales details contain only the most basic facts and tend to be so bland it is impossible to get a true idea of what a house is really like. On the other hand, the Act does not require sales details to inform whether a property is near a noisy road, an electricity pylon, a building site etc. So buyers still waste much time travelling to view properties that are totally unsuitable.

Finding the right property for our clients is only part of our service. Indeed, finding the property is sometimes the easy part. If the property is especially good, there may be other buyers after it and our clients will need to know how to handle the situation. Very often the circumstances surrounding a sale are problematic or sometimes a client's own sale can fall apart. We are on hand to provide indepedent professional advice and guidance throughout the buying process. We particularly provide advice on making offers - how much and with what terms and conditions- and if required we can undertake the financial negotiations on behalf of a client. Clients are frequently surprised to discover how large a reduction can be achieved on the asking price.

How?

Use local experts

Ideally buyers need a trusted local property expert who knows their exact requirements and will do the boring, preliminary work – researching the market, contacting agents, gathering sales details and eliminating unsuitable properties - and will then actually view the most-likely properties, reporting back to the buyer and selecting the best homes to match their needs. At Surrey Homesearch we do not sell houses and we aim to provide impartial comments on shortlisted houses. It is left entirely up to the client to decide whether or not to view shortlisted properties; the client then deals directly with the estate agents. Surrey Homesearch charges no commission fee on purchases.

With the arrival of the internet and email, the possibility of maintaining contact with house-hunters (wherever they may be located in the world) quickly, conveniently and cheaply has become a reality. At Surrey Homesearch we can send out appropriate information to property hunters as soon as it becomes available and clients can access their emails at any time when it is convenient to them, so it does not interfere with busy lives.

It is impossible to give a figure as to how many shortlisted properties Surrey Homesearch will forward to a client as individual client requirements vary enormously (some are very narrowly defined with rare specifications, others much more generalised in terms of location or accommodation). However within two weeks of the start of the contract period, clients will be informed of existing appropriate properties, with shortlisted ones that have been viewed by Surrey Homesearch. Thereafter clients will be kept informed of the progress of our property search on their behalf, at not less than fortnightly intervals, for the rest of the three-month period, unless instructed to terminate the search. Feedback from clients will be used to assist the homesearch.

If clients are very limited as to their availability to view properties personally we can tailor our homesearch to their requirements eg. as well as emailing details to the client as soon as we shortlist a property, we can compile a shortlist of properties for viewing on a certain date. We can also vary the standard contract three-month period, shortening or lengthening it, according to clients’ circumstances. Should clients require additional services in connection with property purchase (accompanied viewings, local tours, videos of properties etc) these may be arranged for an additional fee.

Who?

A wide range of property-hunters will find that using Surrey Homesearch makes sense. These include:

Busy families seeking their dream home.

People relocating to Surrey from another country or county.

First-time buyers unsure of the market.

House-hunters searching for a home in Surrey's wide countryside.

Empty-nesters who are downsizing to a new way of life.

Business people who don’t have time for proper house-hunting.

Parents buying student accommodation.

Property investors looking to buy-to-let.

Finally

At Surrey Homesearch we know how difficult and frustrating house-hunting can be and we aim to make it a better, simpler and more enjoyable experience, leading towards an end result that gives great pleasure.

Click here to read our Terms and Conditions.

To receive a copy of the Surrey Homesearch house buyer's questionnaire and to find out how to become a private client, please contact us.