Making the decision that you want to buy a new home is exciting - dreaming of more open-plan space and storage, creating Pinterest boards of how you’d design the interiors, and imagining hosting family and friends in your stylish new pad. But what next? How do you turn your dreams into a reality?
We have asked recent buyers across Scotland for their top tips on finding the perfect property for you and your family, to help you kick-start your home buying journey in the new year…
Create a priorities list - Jill, Aberdeenshire
“When we decided we 100% wanted to move, my partner and I sat down and wrote a list of everything we wanted in our next home. What did we dislike about our current home, what would improve our daily lives, and what had we always dreamed of?
“As you can imagine, that list got pretty long. So we prioritised, and figured out what features were most important to us versus what we would be willing to compromise on. This helped us massively when searching for new homes, narrowing down our search and helping us to focus on finding the home that would perfectly suit our needs.
“Some examples we noted as priorities: pleasant walking routes on our doorstep for our daily dog walks, a breakfast bar or kitchen island, en-suite, open-plan kitchen and dining room, and a spacious hallway.”
Trust your gut - Duncan, Aberdeenshire
“My top tip would be to trust your gut feeling. You can very easily be drawn in by beautiful interior design, or a persuasive salesperson, but ultimately you will know deep down if a home is right for you or not. Did you get that excited feeling when you walked into the property, or saw the floorplans? Can you imagine living there? Are there any niggles at the back of your mind about something that is missing or not quite right? Listen to your own thoughts and feelings, and this will help you determine if a home is ‘the one’.”
View showhomes - Sally, Dundee
“We really benefited from seeing homes in person, rather than just looking at photos online. We decided we wanted to buy a new build, and started viewing showhomes in different locations, to get a feel for the quality on offer from that builder, as well as get a better idea of layouts and features that we would like.”
Get professional advice and support - Sam, Aberdeen
“The first thing we were advised to do is appoint a financial advisor. We had been scrolling through properties for months, but with no real idea of what we would do if we found the perfect property. As soon as we had a financial advisor in place, everything seemed real and achievable - we knew how much we could afford to spend, and found it easier to narrow our search down to realistic properties within our budget.”
Explore the areas you’re interested in - Louise, Aberdeenshire
“We didn’t know exactly where we wanted to live, as we don’t have kids or any ties to a certain town. This made our search area quite wide and we started looking at properties in places we knew very little about.
“We decided to start exploring different towns and villages that we could potentially move to and we would definitely recommend this to other people looking for a new home. We would go for walks in the area, check out local cafes or shops, and get a feel for the place first-hand. One of the villages we visited a few times had such a homely feel to us - everyone seemed so friendly, the walking routes were great, and there was a shop and restaurant nearby which was ideal for us. We wouldn’t have known this without visiting - and we now live in this exact village and love it!”
Get opinions, but not too many - Richard, Broughty Ferry
“A tip would be to ask trusted people for opinions, just make sure that there aren’t too many as you end up more confused. Family and friends can help to put things into perspective, or may notice something you haven’t, but ultimately the decision is that of you and your partner or family. So if something feels right to you, but someone is being negative, always prioritise your own thinking.”
Be open-minded - Sam, Aberdeen
“When my girlfriend and I started the search for our first home, we were adamant we wanted to live right in the city centre. My mum suggested looking at a town a little further out, but I instantly said no as that wasn’t where we wanted to live.
“After months of searching, we visited the development my mum had originally suggested - and were pleasantly surprised to find that we really liked it. It actually gave us the best of both worlds, still being close to town, but with countryside nearby - and it ticked so many of our boxes. We ended up reserving our first home here earlier this year, so my advice to others is to be open-minded when searching for a home - you don’t want to miss out on the perfect opportunity!”
For more tips on finding your dream home, visit our 2022 home buying hub which is packed with expert advice and inspiration.
