APRIL IS THE BUSIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR FOR HOUSE SALES….HERE’S HOW TO SAVE MONEY AS YOU MAKE YOUR MOVE

Housing expert offers ten top tips for cashing in on Britain’s property boom

A PROPERTY expert has revealed his top ten tips for saving money this April – which is predicted to be the busiest month on record.Jonathan Rolande, from the National Association of Property Buyers, says “around a third of sales fall through” – meaning hundreds of millions of pounds are wasted each year. His advice on money saving tips couldn’t come at a more important time.

According to Rightmove, 116,386 properties were listed for sale in February.  

This is up from 85,416 last February – an increase of almost 40%.

Mr Rolande said: “I believe April will deliver levels of house sale transactions that break all records. All the data indicates that next month is going to see a real boom in sales and transactions. I predict we could see record numbers of houses being put for sale as people try to benefit from the continued increase in house prices. It’s worth noting that prices are actually increasing at a much faster rate in places outside of London. So new hotspots for property are showing up and there are still great deals out there which is encouraging people to go for it.”

Here Mr Rolande, the director of House Buy Fast, shares his top ten tips for how buyers and sellers can save cash…

*Around a third of sales fall through potentially wasting hundreds on abortive legal costs and surveys. Take out fall through insurance from £60 which will help to cover this.

*Removals are more expensive on a Friday so aim to complete on a Monday when it’s cheaper.

*Take a meter reading and tell the utility companies on day one – and make sure you’re not on an emergency tariff. 

*Use Sloth Move, a company who will help you quickly and efficiently change over your bills to save you time and money. It costs less than £70 to redirect all your bills.

*Redirect mail but leave some new address stickers at your old place for any letters that slip through. This will reduce your chances of not receiving a bill and missing a payment date. One client I know is still repairing their credit record thanks to a missed mobile phone bill charging just £15 a month.

*Shop around for home insurance before you exchange contracts and insure it on exchange, not completion – just in case. Otherwise you could end up having to pay for cover you don’t need.

*Check that the council tax is in the right band and appeal if not. Many homeowners challenge and receive a refund.

 *The market is so busy and prices high, estate agents are slashing their fees. Get a few quotes, choose the best agent (don’t choose on price alone) and aim for around 0.75% to 1% – with VAT it’ll still be a hefty chunk but a lot less than the 2% plus VAT of yesteryear.

*Watch out for bolt-ons. Agents charge for extras like floor plans, EPC’s and professional photos. Get your own and you’ll save money.

*Finally watch out for the estate agent’s recommended solicitor, there’ll likely be a mark-up on the price.