Negotiating to buy your dream home is very much the same as negotiating to buy your next car. The only real differences are the number of zeros on the end of each figure and the length of time it takes to go from ‘a deal’ to actually buying it!
The best negotiators do three things. They decide what they are prepared to pay. They consider the mindset of the other side in the negotiation and they set parameters which, if not achieved, will result in them walking away. Without a belief that you can take or leave a particular deal, you aren’t negotiating, you’re just delaying the inevitable.
Of course, buying your dream home means, by definition, that your heart is driving this at least as much as your head. You need to suppress your desires and keep a cool head. Don’t allow the day dreams and wishes to cloud your judgement.
Buying a home is probably the largest expenditure most people make in their lifetimes. It’s critical, therefore, to negotiate well. So remember, prepare for the task at hand. Get your mortgage and funds in place and don’t be afraid to walk away if the deal doesn’t stack up.
The chancellor will deliver her second budget this autumn. Due to slow economic growth and high inflation, the government need to manage a £40 billion shortfall in public finances. There have already been reports about changes to taxes including income tax and capital gains tax.
3 days ago
The chancellor has advised that landlords could have another tax to pay this autumn as the Treasury decide whether to extend national insurance contributions to rental income.
According to a report in the Guardian, senior ministers have asked Treasury officials to look into a “proportional” property tax to see how it would work as an alternative to the existing stamp duty land tax on owner-occupied homes.
More than a quarter of UK adults in long-term relationships (26%) have reported that despite living together, they keep their finances separate from one another.
There has been a rise in both rent and mortgage costs over the last three years, with renters seeing a greater increase in their monthly payments than those with a mortgaged property.
26 days ago
The new Delayed Start Mortgage launched by Skipton Building Society allows first time buyers to postpone the first three mortgage payments. This product has been designed to help soften the blow of moving in costs for first time buyers.
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Mortgage lenders are starting to recognise their “Green” responsibilities when it comes to the different products they offer.
A recent study by Boon Brokers where 1,000 people who had used an estate agent over the last year were surveyed, showed that a whopping 52% said they were pressured into using the estate agents’ in-house mortgage broker.