Valentine's Day: finding a home you'll truly fall in love with.

It's no secret that buying a home is possibly one of the biggest purchases you will ever make which is why it's important to ensure all the stops are pulled out before buying. Take a look at our checklist below for finding your dream home!

First of all, let's take a look at what type of property you want.

When you're ready to start your house hunt, it's important that you have an idea in mind of your dream home. Do you want a new build, an older home or maybe a property that needs some work? If so, can this be done by yourself or will you need to budget for paying contractors to complete the work?

Do you research before starting to look.

Before jumping into your search, try to list the features that are must for your new home and which are extra benefits. Think of the areas you would like to reside in based on knowledge of the area, commute times, schools and other facilities close by. Writing a list down of your needs makes it easier to weed out the perfect home in your budget.

Get your finances in order.

It's important to understand your finances before you find a home and make an offer. Start by working out all of your monthly outgoings, this will make it easier to understand what budget would be most comfortable. It's vital you take into account other monthly charges that come along with purchasing a house, such as council tax and utility bills.

Set a timeline for moving.

A moving timeline will help you set goals and organise your time. Different facts that will effect your timeline will be things such as does your credit rating need improving? If you're selling, have you sold your current home? If you're in the middle of renting a property, when does the lease on this end?

Think about the long term.

Your future plans will dictate the type of home you will be looking at. For example, some people may look for a starter home that they will move up from in a few years and some people may look for a home that they plan to live in for the next 10. These future plans need to be taken into account when house hunting as this home may need to be one that you'll want to love for years to come.

Work with a trusted, local Real Estate Agent.

At Michael Poole Estate & Lettings Agent, we believe that knowledge is power when it comes to sticking local which is why we take the utmost pride in being in the TOP 3% of all UK agents. Our team of property experts can guide you through the full process of purchasing your dream home, with the added benefit of strong local connections to provide all services under one roof; from maintenance refurbishment, to solicitors and mortgage advisors - saving you time and money.

Do you want to find your dream home? Get in touch today.