Guide to buying

Buying a property is a major life event, whether you’re looking for a new home or an investment. So you need the best in the business to make it as smooth and as swift as possible.

Dexters has been around for 23 years and we have grown from a single office to become central London’s largest estate agent. Our network of over 80 offices covering every London borough, extensive database of properties for sale and deep knowledge of your local and surrounding area means that you can trust us to find you your perfect property.

We also know that the small things matter to you. You’ll never have to us ask for anything twice. We aim always to be one step ahead of you, anticipating your questions. You won’t need to call us because we’ll have called you first. With over 70% of our business stemming from referrals, we’d like to think that we’re doing something right. We hope that you’ll think so too.

Things can move quickly in the world of property purchasing. So it’s important that we understand why you want to buy and what you want to buy. Are you looking for your first home? Perhaps your intention is to buy-to-let. Then of course there is location, size, style, amenities, transport and a wealth of other factors to consider.

This is the time to tell us about all your requirements and of course your budget - the more we know, the more likely we are to strike gold. We’ll use our experience and our local knowledge to take you on a whirlwind tour of properties on our books and perhaps some that are not even on the market yet. All that we ask is that you make the time and keep an open mind - we may just surprise you with something you would never have considered.

As demand generally outstrips supply in London, it’s important to be ready to move fast if you find a property you like. Having financial and conveyancing services already in place will show the seller that you are serious and may just give you the edge over other buyers.

It is never too early to appoint legal instruction - we have a panel of recommended solicitors who will guide you through what you need to do. Securing a mortgage can also be a confusing business. Our Financial Services team has been offering an independent mortgage broker service for almost 20 years. Our impartiality means that we can secure you the best deal that the market has to offer, not the one which earns us the most commission.

You’ve found the place for you. Now the question is - what price do you offer to buy it for?

London is a competitive market so it’s best not to play games. We’ll guide you through this crucial time by telling you about the seller’s situation, what similar properties in the area have sold for and what the overall housing market is doing. Generally speaking, we will encourage you to make the best offer you can, particularly if the property has attracted lots of interest. This is the time to market yourself and your circumstances to convince the seller that you are their best and most reliable bet.

To underline this, arrange a survey - it’s crucial to know the condition of the property you are buying. We are a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) practice and can put you in touch with qualified surveyors. Your solicitor should also immediately start running all necessary checks and searches. If you are selling a property, you also need to be mindful of keeping up to date with the status of your buyers to keeping everything on track.

Purchasing a property is often the first step in a longer process. You might be planning extensive refurbishments or you may want to find trustworthy tenants for a long-term let. Just in case it’s helpful, let us tell you about other Dexters services that you might find useful:

1. Selling a property: if you have a residential or rental property to sell at the same time as your purchase, look no further than us. Our membership of the Home Sell Network means we can also help if your property is outside the capital

2. Property Management: we manage properties ranging from individual houses to blocks of flats for 17,000 landlords across all areas of London. We’d love to include yours

3. Design and Interiors: our team has access to more than 100 approved London-based builders, structural engineers, architects and tradesmen if you want to do work

4. London Commercial Property: an increasing number of buildings in the capital are mixed use due to land being at a premium. If you require tenants for commercial as well as residential use, we have expertise in both