Buying a House 101

Most of you know me as Linzi, your ordering, question answering, WhatsApp messaging, hub opening and downright amazing Hub Management and Liaison Lead for the MCN.

However, I have a little secret – I also have been for 19 years, an Estate Agent. I have been fortunate enough (or stubborn enough) to have been able to progress in my career throughout our military life and postings all over the UK which has not only progressed me to Area Manager but has given me many many years of experience and tips and tricks for buying your first, fourth or simply an investment home. So, because of this – I have decided to impart my knowledge to you lovely lot in case you are thinking of buying your first house while either still in the military or have signed off and need to now start looking at where to live.

We have done a variety of houses together –

• Bought our first home whilst he was still serving,

• Lived unaccompanied for 3 years,

• Rented that out whilst we moved south and rented close to his posting until we decided to get married,

• Lived in off camp accommodation (SSSA),

• Lived in patch housing,

• Finally bought our forever home before he signed off,

• Sold our first home after buying and moving into our forever home, and lived married unaccompanied again for another 3 years.

  
  

So, what I have picked up over the time, and what do I now tell buyers to make their lives - and the vendors lives - easier?

Sit back, grab a brew and dive into my world of Estate Agency.

Where do I start?

Finances

The only place to start is finances. This determines exactly what you can afford to buy. Without this, you are guessing - and guessing leads to problems.

So many things determine how much you can borrow, such as credit scores (did you know that if you have no bills in your name your credit score can actually be quite low, which can affect lending?) and the amount of deposit - the more the merrier, as they say. A 10% deposit is better than a 5% deposit and usually gives you better rates.

The military still offers Forces Help to Buy, which can help provide a deposit; however, you do still have to apply to see how much you can get, based on your wages. It is interest‑free, but it must be paid back, and you must apply while you still have more than six months left to serve.

You need to speak to a financial advisor to get a full picture of your borrowing amount. They will ask a lot of questions to make sure the mortgage is affordable and to get you the best deal available. Try and find a whole‑of‑market advisor - this simply means they can scan all mortgage lenders on your behalf to find the best option for you. Even if you have bad credit, they can point you in the right direction to suit your financial needs.

Also look for an advisor who understands the military lifestyle. These fabulous people can sometimes help chase the FHTB scheme or may waive their fee if they’re a veteran themselves. Simply googling and using an online calculator isn’t always enough now - it really is better to sit down with someone who can advise you properly, based on your individual circumstances.

We have mortgage advisors on our business directory, so do check them out!

Viewings

This is the exciting bit - house viewings!

You are now armed with the financial knowledge of what you can buy, and what you want to buy at (two very different things), so you can start looking at what’s out there.

You have platforms such as Rightmove and Zoopla, but also Facebook and Instagram, The Guild of Property Professionals, and good old‑fashioned face‑to‑face.

Here’s my first tip: step into your local estate agent’s office and have a face‑to‑face chat about what you want, how much you want to spend, and a little about your background. This helps us build a picture of what you’re looking for - and it makes you memorable.

We know who the good, serious buyers are. When a fab property comes in that matches exactly what you’ve described, you’ll get a call before it even hits the online platforms. You get first pick - and that’s what you want as a buyer. Any estate agent worth their salt should be picking up the phone the moment the right home comes onto the market.

Set up alerts on Rightmove for your areas, price range and minimum requirements. Register with estate agents’ mailing lists too — these often go out before a property goes live online. Sometimes Facebook listings even appear before Rightmove, so set notifications there as well.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions during viewings, such as:

• Timeframes for the current owners to move

• When the boiler was last serviced or fitted

• When the electrics were last checked

  
  

If you’re buying a standard property, boundaries are usually straightforward. However, if you’re buying in the countryside, you may want to ask things like:

• Does the septic tank meet current regulations?

• Are there any access restrictions or rights of way across the land or garden?

• Are there any building applications in the village?

  
  

The location will determine the questions you need answers to.

Don’t be afraid to have two or three viewings if you’re really keen - it’s a huge purchase and it needs to feel right. Ask your agent to note your interest on the property. A good agent will call you if anything changes, such as a price reduction or another proceedable offer that could mean the house is about to sell.

Offering

You have found your dream home and now comes the offer - the scary part.

My only advice on this would be offer what you feel the house is worth to you. You know what you can afford. Also depending on how long a home has been on the market will determine how much you can realistically offer.

If a house has only been on a couple of weeks, then realistically the vendor isn’t going to take much lower that the asking price. If the house has been on over 6 months, then you may have a better chance of getting a bit of money knocked off. This is where, again, being honest and working with your estate agent will help you. They (we) are your greatest allies when it comes to offers. They will know what the vendor will accept whilst making sure they get the best price for them but also, they should tell you where you need to be offer wise, based on previous conversations or even offers, with said house. They can also be your greatest support if it comes to multiple offers on the same house at the same time by various buyers – the vendors will always look to the agent to see what their thoughts are and which is the best buyer.

Don’t forget this is the owner’s home and they want to see if go to the right family especially if it’s been in the family for generations, or they have spent their time raising a family here but poured their hard earned funds into renovating it for them to enjoy and then their circumstances changed.

Be honest and be nice. It goes a hell of a long way in the house buying world.

Offer Acceptance

Now the hard work starts – as soon as you have had your offer accepted you need to get all your ducks in a row. And by this, I mean:

• Conveyancer instructed. There is a list of things they need before they will even begin work on your file – make sure all paperwork is returned in full in a timely manner to keep the ball rolling.

• Mortgage advisor. They also need more paperwork from you now the offer has been accepted to get the mortgage locked in and secured – yes that’s right the mortgage is not secured until you have sent in 3 months of bank statements, photo ID, proof of address, to name a few) this will then allow them to get your survey booked in.

• Money on account for the Conveyancer. They need this to apply for searches. FHTB needs to be applied for and they require certain information to, so they can get the ball rolling for the deposit. Note: FHTB CAN ONLY BE CHASED BY THE SERVING PERSON, THE COC OR THE UNIT HQ– YOU NEED TO BE ON THIS AS THEY CAN TAKE TIME AND YOU WILL NEED THE DEPOSIT FOR THE EXCHANGE

Things you will need to chase your Conveyancer on:

• Have they applied for the searches?

• Have they responded to enquiries?

• Have the received the mortgage offer?

• Has the contract been returned?

• Has an indemnity insurance been done?

  
  

These are the things that can slow the process down if questions are left on desks and not sent out for the other side to sign. Once all the paperwork is done and the TR1 form is signed along with the draft contract then you are ready to talk exchange. You should be looking at a 3-4 month turn around time – this can vary due to chain length.

Exchange can only happen when every I is dotted and every T is crossed both on the mortgage offer and the Conveyancer’s paperwork. What you will also need to do in readiness for exchange is Buildings and contents insurance from the exchange dates. This also needs to be done and shown to your Conveyancer.  

Packing and removal companies.

Now I am not going to advise on you on how to pack up your home – we are epic at this on a short notice turn around however what I will say is days. If you don’t have to move on a Friday then don’t – weekday prices maybe cheaper and better companies may be more readily available. This needs to be done a good month or so out from your exchange date to see who is free and if they need to come out and have a look at the size of your home.

Completion day

You’ve done it!

Through all the excitement tears and packing you have finally made it to key collection day. The only thing I will say on this one is please wait until the Estate Agent calls you to say you can collect keys.

Your solicitor will call you to say the money has gone over and has completed – however keys cannot be handed out until the house you are buying has received the money in the solicitors account – then you have officially completed. This does depend on how busy the Conveyancer is at the time and also how long it can take to show in the bank account of the Conveyancer. This again can take longer on a Friday as it’s a popular day to complete so the banking system is busier than normal. Also be aware that the home owners may not have fully finished cleaning the house or emptying it out when the call comes in – just be mindful you they are leaving their family home/first home etc so it will be emotional for them.

Words you need to know

Conveyancer – this is the legal name for the person doing the legal bit on the purchase or sale of your home.

Cash buyer – full amount of purchase price in cash is sitting in your bank – if this is not true you are not a cash buyer

No chain – you have nothing to sell – or the house you are buying is not buying another house after you have purchased theirs.

FTB – First Time Buyer

Indemnity Insurance – insurance for missing paper work IE Fensa, Building Regs, boundary issues etc

Unregistered House – the house has been in the same name for so long that the home and its land have not been registered on land registry – this legally needs to happen in the process

TR1 form – Transfer form – this is the legal document to sign once all has been done to move it from their name to yours.

Final Thoughts from Nearly Two Decades in Property

Buying a home is a rollercoaster - exciting, stressful, emotional, but absolutely worth it.

The military lifestyle adds extra layers: location shifts, deployments, housing patch moves, and time pressure. But with the right support, the right advisors, and the right expectations, it can be smooth, empowering, and even fun.

You absolutely can do this.

And I’m here cheering you on the whole way!