Once you’ve decided on an area and you know what you can afford, you need to search for and look at properties.
You can search for a property through:
- estate agents in the area
- estate agents’ websites and other online property sites
- local newspapers
- house building companies listed in the area
- auctions.
Remember to check whether the property is freehold or leasehold.
A freehold property gives you complete ownership of both the land and the property for an unlimited time.
A leasehold property doesn’t include the land on which the property is built. Instead you pay ground rent to the freeholder – the owner of the land. You might also have to pay a service charge.