A New Start Often Means A New Home
Going through a separation or divorce presents a unique set of challenges. Not only are you dealing with the re-organisation of your life (and your family’s), but also facing a new beginning and potentially finding a new home. It’s an emotionally charged time for all involved, and often leaves you feeling lost, alone, and asking “where do I start?”.
Separating from your ex and leaving the family home can conjure up a wide range of emotions. It will be heart-breaking for some but will provide a sense of relief for others. In any case, choosing your new nest, a place where we feel at home and comfortable, is essential to rebuild ourselves after a divorce. It’s a principal foundation of the new start. However, finding the right property can be very time and energy consuming. We also need to remember that estate agents represent the seller (their client) rather than you as the buyer, and therefore it is important to be properly advised for that aspect of the process too. Here are our tips for success in finding a new home.
Consider your requirements
The very first step of the process is to work out a detailed brief for your new home and be clear on the type of property you are looking for. This brief will be the foundation of your house search, so it is important to spend some time and have it as detailed as possible. It will take into consideration the location you want to live in, considering proximity to children’s education, place of work, and family members. It will also include the specifications of your new home (size, layout, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor space, interior design, etc.). A separation is the perfect opportunity to re-consider your lifestyle and how you want to live the rest of your life. Once the brief is in place, you will be ready to begin your house search.
Looking for your new home
At this stage, you can use property portals such as Rightmove or Zoopla. However, bear in mind that those portals are very limited and only a small percentage of properties are advertised there. The most efficient way to identify most of the properties matching your criteria is to engage with all (or at least a majority) of the estate agents operating within your search area. Try to identify the top 20 agents (as a minimum) and send them your brief. If you only engage with three or four agents, you will immensely limit your market access and will likely miss out on that dream house. It’s a very time-consuming exercise but worth the effort. It is your new home after all.
The viewings
The agents should send you the options they have. From those, create a shortlist of your top ten properties and organise viewings. If you can bring a friend or family member along to accompany you on the viewings, that’s great. It’s important to get a second opinion from someone that you trust.
Making an offer
Once you have chosen your favourite property, you will need to make a first offer. Always remember that the estate agents represent their client’s interests (not yours), and their prime objective is to sell the property at the highest possible price, so don’t be scared of negotiating. Every £ saved from the asking price will be one more £ to rebuild your life, so this £ is better in your pocket than in the seller’s one.
Efficient negotiation requires market knowledge, so try to get advice on the property value from someone you trust before starting the negotiation. By looking at recently sold prices in the local area (available on most property portals) you’ll be able to get some market data to back up your position. By presenting this data with your offer, you’ll demonstrate an understanding of the property market and you’ll be in a stronger position to negotiate. From a budget perspective, you will also have to pay SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) on top of the buying price. This will vary according to the property value but assume it will be around 10% of the buying price.
Having the right team
Once you’ve had your offer accepted, you’ll need the help of a conveyancing lawyer, a surveyor, a removals company and maybe an interior designer, or contractors. With the right team in place, you can rest assured that all aspects are covered, with the right experts by your side to guide you, leaving you with the exciting task of planning your new post-divorce future.
By following these steps, you’ll increase your chances of finding the perfect new home for you and your family. However, if the idea of this process is daunting, today there is also the option to work with a buying agent who will represent your interests as a buyer and manage the entire process on your behalf. Your lawyer should be able to recommend you an excellent buying agent, who has experience of supporting clients going through a divorce. Finding your new home doesn’t need to be source of additional stress and anxiety, instead it should be a time for positivity and moving forward into a future of happier times.
If you have more questions about this topic or any other legal issues arising on divorce or separation, please do get in touch as we are always happy to help. You can call us on 0203 488 4475 or email contact@thedivorcesurgery.co.
Author Name: Sebastien Nicolleau
Sebastien is the MD & Founder of Galleon Property Search. Galleon is a leading UK buying agency with many years of experience in helping divorcing clients to find a new family home. They work with their clients to make the new home journey as enjoyable as possible, whilst saving them time and stress. If you need advice or simply want to have a chat, you can reach out to the team.
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