First Time Home Buying in the UK: Tips

10 Tips for first-time buyers (part II)

• Always consider how your transport arrangements will change in your new house. If you have a car, a your insurance premium may increase dramatically if you move from a town with relatively low crime into a city centre with higher crime rates, or if you move from your parents' house with a locked garage to a smaller terraced house with on-street parking. If your car is insured in your parents' name in order to reduce premiums, be prepared for these to be increased when you move into your new property and become the first named driver.
  
• Consider the availability of pu blic transport services, making sure you find out local bus routes, the frequency of train services from your nearest station, and, if you are moving a long distance, the range of flights available from your local airport. Even if you drive everywhere, this information will be useful for anyone coming to visit you who does not drive.
  
  Write down a list of local amenities which are important to you. This may include shops, restaurants, pubs, sports centres, parks, and cinemas. If you enjoy activities such as walking, or cycling, the neighbourhood you plan to move in to may be very different to the one your parents are living in, and may not have the same access to parks and other recreational facilities. Before making any final decision about where to move to, take a stroll or bike ride around the local area, and note down where the key facilities are.