Your Complete Guide to House Hunting
Insider tips, expert tricks, and practical advice to help you find the right home, make smarter offers, and move with confidence. From the team at Frankly.
House Hunting Tips the Pros Use
Most buyers only use Rightmove. Professional property finders use at least 8 tactics you have probably never heard of.
They are trained to get the highest price for the seller, not the best deal for you. Five rules to level the playing field.
That beautiful kitchen won’t matter if the roof is failing. Here’s what to actually look for behind the fresh paint.
Making an Offer That Gets Accepted
The highest bid doesn’t always win. Learn what vendors really want and how to beat buyers offering more than you.
Surveys and Legal Checks Explained
This is where most buyers feel lost. A plain English guide to what happens after your offer is accepted and why it matters..
Exchange, Completion and Getting the Keys
The final stretch from legally binding contracts to front door key. What to expect, when to worry, and one tip everyone forgets.
Find The Perfect Home
Most buyers stick to scrolling Rightmove and hoping for the best. Here are some smarter moves that could give you a real edge.
Don’t rely on one portal. Rightmove is the biggest, but Zoopla and OnTheMarket often have listings that don’t appear elsewhere. Use all three to maximise your chances.
Set up instant alerts. On Rightmove, hit the bell icon on your saved search and select “instantly”. You will see new listings before most people even open the app.
Watch properties that fall through. Filter for “Sold STC” and “Under Offer” on Rightmove. Around 1 in 3 sales fall through before completion. When they come back on the market, there is often less competition and a more motivated seller.
Register directly with local agents. Walking into the office and introducing yourself means agents think of you first when a new property comes in, sometimes before it even goes online.
Post letters through doors. If you love a specific street, write a polite letter to homeowners saying you are looking to buy in the area. London buying agents use this tactic regularly and it works.
Check the Land Registry. You can track which properties complete and which don’t. If a sale fell through on a street you like, approach the seller directly. Title registers cost just £3 each.
Drive different routes. Sounds simple, but for sale boards don’t always show up on portals. You might spot something before it is even listed online.
Check local planning applications. Developers with planning permission for new builds sometimes sell before construction starts, often at a discount if you don’t mind the wait.
Ready to make your move?
Getting the right mortgage doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you have your documents ready or just have a few questions about where to start, we are here to help.
Let’s get your journey started. Book your free appointment with an adviser here
Hidden Costs Beyond the Deposit
Your deposit is just the start. Research shows 37% of UK homeowners experience regret after buying, often because they underestimated the total cost.
| Cost | Estimated Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp Duty (SDLT) | Variable | First time buyers: 0% up to £300,000, then 5% to £500,000. Use the gov.uk SDLT calculator. |
| Solicitor / Conveyancing | £800 to £2,000 | Includes local authority searches and Land Registry fees. Use Frankly conveyancing for Guarantee protection. |
| Mortgage Fees | Up to £2,000 | Arrangement fee (up to £1,500) plus valuation fee (£300 to £500). |
| Survey | ~£445 | RICS Level 2. Older properties may need a Level 3 survey at higher cost. |
| Removals | £450 to £1,400 | Depends on distance and volume. Budget for mail redirection (from £36) and storage too. |
| Buildings Insurance | From ~£150/year | Required by all mortgage lenders. Must be active from the day of exchange. |
Dealing with Estate Agents
Estate agents work for the seller, not you. Their fee (typically 1% to 1.25%) comes from the vendor, so their motivation is to get the highest price possible. Knowing this changes everything.
Five Rules That Could Save You Thousands
- Never reveal your full budget. Tell agents your budget is around 10% lower than your actual maximum. This gives you room to negotiate without being pushed to your limit.
- Spot manufactured urgency. Clustered viewings, sealed bids and “we’ve had a lot of interest” are designed to make you panic bid. Stay calm and stick to your numbers.
- Ask the right questions. How long has it been on the market? Why is the owner selling? Has the price been reduced? Over a third of listed properties have had at least one price cut.
- Show you are a serious buyer. Having your DIP ready (we do ours in 24 hours), a solicitor pre-instructed, and being chain free makes agents prioritise you over other buyers.
- Keep personal details private. If an agent knows you need to move for a school catchment deadline, that information gets used against you in negotiations.
Questions to Ask at Every Viewing
- “Why is the owner selling, and how long has this property been listed?”
- “How many viewings have there been, and over what timeframe?”
- “Has the asking price been reduced since it was first listed?”
- “Is the vendor currently in an onward chain?
- “What is the minimum the vendor would be prepared to accept?”
- “What are the average utility bills and council tax here?”
Viewing Like a Pro
It is easy to fall in love with a kitchen or a view, but a viewing is really a diagnostic exercise. Here is what to check before you get emotionally attached.
Your Viewing Checklist
- Structural integrity: Look for diagonal cracks in the brickwork running through the bricks (not just the mortar). Check the roof line for sagging or missing tiles.
- Damp and moisture: Sniff for musty smells, look for peeling wallpaper, blistered paint, white salt deposits on walls. Check for moisture between double glazing panes.
- Boiler and electrics: Ask the age of the boiler and when it was last serviced. Test water pressure upstairs. Check the consumer unit (fuse box). Replacement costs: boiler ~£2,500+, full rewire ~£4,000+.
- Unauthorised work: Has anything been extended, converted or knocked through? Ask the agent to confirm planning permission and building control sign off exist.
- The neighbourhood: Visit at different times of day. Check the government flood risk portal. Ask about broadband speed and mobile signal. Check for nearby planning applications.
- Take your own photos: Not the flattering agent ones. Capture the real picture for comparison later.
- Keep the vendor talking: Open ended questions like "what will you miss about living here?" often reveal things that never appear in the listing.
Making an Offer That Gets Accepted
In a competitive market, vendors want certainty more than they want the highest price. Here is how to make your offer stand out.
What Makes a “Proceedable” Buyer
Vendors and their agents prioritise buyers who represent speed and certainty. The hierarchy of purchasing power looks like this:
- Cash buyers command the most leverage as they have no mortgage delays.
- First time buyers and renters are chain free, meaning no onward sale can collapse and derail the transaction.
- Sellers with their property “under offer” are significantly stronger than those whose home is merely listed.
How to Package Your Offer
- Submit your DIP alongside the offer. We get ours done in 24 hours, so you can move fast.
- Include proof of deposit such as redacted bank statements showing your funds.
- Provide your solicitor’s contact details. Use Frankly conveyancing and you are also covered by the Guarantee.
- Reference comparable sold prices from the Land Registry or Zoopla to anchor your bid in data, not emotion.
- Be flexible on timing. Vendors often accept slightly lower offers from buyers who can work around their completion timeline.
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Employment and Background
Lenders may also ask how long you’ve been in your current job, whether you’re on probation and what type of employment contract you have. They will check your residential status too, such as whether you’re a UK citizen or have settled status. These questions help build a clear picture of stability and eligibility.
Surveys and Legal Checks Explained
Your offer has been accepted. Now the due diligence begins. This is where most of the waiting happens, so knowing what is going on behind the scenes helps.
Property Searches Your Solicitor Will Order
Local Authority search: Checks planning permissions, building regulation compliance, road adoption, and council claims on the property.
- Environmental search: Assesses flood risk, land contamination history, and radon gas levels. Directly affects your insurance.
- Water and drainage search: Confirms mains water and public sewer connection, and whether drains run under the building.
- Mining search (location dependent): Evaluates the risk of ground subsidence from historical mining activity.
- Chancel repair liability: An old legal duty to fund church repairs that still catches people out in some areas.
Exchange, Completion and Getting the Keys
You have made it through the hardest parts. Here is what the final stretch looks like.
Before You Exchange
Exchange of contracts is when it becomes legally binding. Before this point, either side can walk away. After exchange, pulling out means losing your deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price).
- Mortgage offer is formally with your solicitor and all lender conditions are met.
- Deposit is in your solicitor’s client account. Banks often cap transfers at £25,000 per day, so start moving money early.
- Final contract and fittings list reviewed. Check the TA10 inclusions/exclusions carefully.
- Buildings insurance arranged to go live on exchange day. This is when risk transfers to you.
Completion Day
This is when the money moves and you get the keys. Your solicitor receives the mortgage funds (usually between 9am and 11am) and sends them to the seller’s solicitor. Once they confirm receipt, the agent releases your keys, typically between 11am and 2pm.
Top Moving In Tip
Photograph all meter readings (gas, electric, water) at both your old and new property on the day. It prevents billing disputes later. Pack an overnight bag with essentials, chargers, and basic toiletries so you are not digging through boxes on your first night.
Get in contact with Frankly
Access expert mortgage advice from over 90 lenders — clear, simple, and tailored to you.
Honest financial advice for life’s biggest moments.
Access expert mortgage advice from over 90 lenders — clear, simple, and tailored to you.
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