Buying your first
London home?

It can feel like you’re
going round in circles.

Collage of a first time buyer in London going round in circles inside a giant wheel

You’re ready to get on the property ladder.
Now what?

You’re finally ready to buy your own place after years of renting. The deposit is in place, you’ve checked what you can borrow, and these are exciting times. You open Rightmove, and quickly realise the area you rent in and love is out of reach. You mark a few further afield, and two days later they’re under offer. Everything you like is 20% over your budget, and you start to lose heart. Then a really nice flat comes on, with an open house on Saturday and one slot left. You’re in. It feels smaller than in the pictures, and the agent is expecting all offers by Monday, telling you it will go quickly. FOMO kicks in. You offer, and lose it to a cash buyer. So it’s back to Rightmove, and back to the start. Only this time, you’re not so sure how it’s going to go. Will prices go up, or down? What about mortgage rates? Maybe you’d better wait. It’s all so overwhelming that putting it off feels like the only sensible option. Three months on, you’re still renting and no closer to a home of your own.

Sound familiar?

Now, we work it out together

This was me when I bought my first home, nearly 20 years ago. And it’s safe to say that every first-time buyer I work with starts the conversation with some version of this story. So rest assured, you’re not alone.

But you don’t have to work it out on your own. Working together turns what can be an overwhelming, stressful task into an enjoyable one. I start by getting to know you: how you live, what you need, what you can comfortably afford, and what you can let go of. Together we work out your priorities and your deal breakers, and I tell you where your budget goes furthest, which can turn out to be an area you hadn’t thought of but that suits you really well. I speak to the agents, book the viewings, and show you only the properties that could be a match for you, so no time is wasted on the rest. I know their jargon and their tactics, and I’ve heard it all. If something comes up between offer and completion, as it often does, I’ve seen it before and I know what to do. And when you make your decision, it’s one you are comfortable and sure about, because it’s an informed one.

Isn’t it expensive? Can’t you do it on your own? Of course you can, and most people do. So the question to ask is what you’re actually buying. How a search runs, and what it costs, is on My Services.

Questions first-time buyers in London ask

Smaller in a better area, or bigger further out?

There is no wrong answer, but it helps to know what you are trading. I walk the areas with you and show you what your budget buys in each: size, condition, transport, streets. Some buyers find a neighbourhood they had never considered, which suits them better than the ones they had their mind set on. Others decide the location is the one thing they won’t give up. If you are open to exploring areas you don’t know, go there outside the viewings too: on a Saturday morning, and perhaps on a weekday evening too. Walk the route from the station to the flat, get a feel of it, and see whether you can picture yourself living there.

How many flats should I see before I decide?

It depends on you, and on how you make decisions. One buyer offered after seeing three houses on the first weekend. Another searched for five months and saw over 70. If you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, sometimes it turns up quickly and you feel confident deciding. If you don’t, you often need to see a few to work out what matters to you. Most of my buyers view between 10 and 20. I’d advise against seeing too many, because they blur together and it can lead to decision paralysis.

How do I know it’s the right one, especially buying on my own?

You get fifteen minutes in a flat, maybe twice, to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. So we view together. I look at what you would walk past: which way the light comes in, the water pressure, the age of the boiler, how the layout works for your brief. I ask the vendor why they are moving and who did any work on the flat. After each viewing you give me your feedback and I give you mine. Some buyers offer the next day. Others go back a second time, at a different time of day. The decision is yours, but I will always tell you if I think you can do better and it’s worth carrying on looking.

Is the asking price right, and should I go over it?

The asking price is where the seller and their agent hope to start. When a seller invites agents to value their property, each suggests an asking price based on what they have sold nearby. But every agent wants the listing, and the seller wants the most they can get, so more often than not the seller goes with the agent who promised more. There is no right price. A property sells for what the highest bidder will pay, and depending on the property, the level of interest, the market and the seller’s position, that can be above or below asking. Anyone can look up what nearby homes sold for. The sold prices don’t show the condition, the floor, the lease or the work that went in. I read those, and tell you what I think this one is worth. Someone else may still offer more, for their own reasons. That doesn’t mean you have to. We look at each case and decide.

How do I know when is the right time to buy?

Nobody can time the market, me included. You can read as many analysts as you can stomach, but things change and the market adapts. The better question is whether now is the right time for you: your deposit, your job, how long you plan to stay, and what the monthly cost is against your rent. If those line up, buying the right home at the right price matters more than exactly when you buy it.