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How much does it really cost to move home

Get a handle on your moving costs here

Most people know they need to save for a deposit to get a mortgage for their first home. But prospective property owners might not realise there are a raft of other fees, charges and taxes they also need to pay – running into thousands of pounds. Prices vary around the country from £20,000 to £30,000 in London but if you are in the north then your costs may only be between £5,000 and £10,000.

Homebuying secrets: How to get ahead

Insider tips from an estate agent

You've got the deposit, the right people behind you, and you're feeling ready enough to take the plunge and snap up your ideal home. In a highly competitive property market, we wish that buying a house was that easy, but it's not. Whether you're stuck in a chain or buying for the first time, we asked Daniel Bourne, Senior Branch Manager at Douglas Allen, Barkingside, to share his secrets on how to give yourself the edge over other buyers.

How to save for a deposit on a home

6 top tips for first-time buyers

The thought of buying a house may make even the savviest of savers go weak at the knees. While saving for a first home for many can be a long and gruelling process, it’s best to start early and save as much as you can possibly stretch to. It’s no secret that the bigger deposit, the lower lending risk you will be and most importantly, a sure-fire candidate for getting a mortgage.

Leasehold or Freehold: the difference

Helping you buy homes smarter

We kid you not, buying a house will introduce you to a whole wave of new terminology that may leave you scratching you head at the best of times – and particularly when it comes to… two words, leasehold and freehold. To help you become a house move pro and to get the most out of buying your home, we’ve summarised the differences in a simple illustration.

Noise and your home: what can you do?

Increase your quality of living

When buying or renting property, people are rightly starting to think harder about noise issues that may affect them once they get to their new home.  After all the house-hunting, stress and, at times, breathtaking expense, how must it feel to hear the first bark of the neighbour's dog in the back garden, or to be kept awake until the early hours on the first Friday night by a continuous stream of pedestrians on their way to a nightclub - or worse still, by the distant but persistent sound of the music from the nightclub itself?

Buying or selling a property: who’s involved

It's time to get acquainted

Loosen up your purse strings! Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which we highly doubt as you’re here on our site) you have probably been told by now that buying and selling your home is an expensive pursuit, and one that should be handled with care and attention. If you’re a person who is particularly price conscious, it’s important to remember that cheap doesn’t always mean best, and if due diligence isn’t done right, it can cost you even more money in the long-run.