Many people assume that property boundaries are defined by features such as the edge of a driveway, a wall, fence, ditch or hedge. A boundary line may even be only a length of wire. However, just because a feature separating two properties exists, it may not be the legal boundary. Where there is no physical feature, a boundary may be
» Read moreOne of the key (buy often overlooked) things to consider when purchasing a property is the heating system. Decent heating is something most of us take for granted, but sellers’ will often have put off non-essential repairs and boiler maintenance in anticipation of selling. Instead, they will usually have focused on more visible sale-boosting improvements, like a new coat of
» Read moreWherever you plan to live it is worth checking what rights your neighbours might have over your property – even if the nearest neighbour’s house is a mile away. Any rights that another party has could affect you and your new home. What rights might a neighbour have? Your potential new neighbour may have access or water rights over your
» Read moreMost properties front directly onto the public highway and access to them is straightforward. But what if the house you’re thinking of buying doesn’t have such easy access? How will you get to your front door? Is your dream home “landlocked”? A property cannot be deemed good and marketable if there is no legal access, so if the access is
» Read moreBefore you move to an unfamiliar area it makes sense to check out the things that are important to you. These might include transport links; access to open space; schooling; traffic; shops and even the local pub. Some of the information may be easily found online, but a physical visit might reveal a clearer picture of what life in a
» Read moreNew build homes, with their up-to-date amenities, offer peace of mind for the property buyer. However, there are still many factors to check before completing your purchase. Here are some of the issues to look out for. Compare the house you want to buy with the show home Show homes are professionally packaged to show off the developer’s houses to
» Read moreA property that has been extended or modified might give you the space you are looking for, but there are a number of checks you should make before making your offer. Has the house been extended? This may not be obvious and some apparent extensions may have been included in the original build – such as 3rd storey bedrooms in
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