5 Steps to Buying Property in England

Hello Blogosphere! It's been awhile, and for that I can only apologise. My sabbatical from blogging was unplanned but sometimes life just gets in the way and something has to be put on hold. However, I am back and things sure have changed here on Waltons mountain. 

After an eventful Christmas, my American family was visiting, Luke and I have decided it is time we buy our first home and get on the property ladder! We have been saving ever since we moved into our rental property, nearly three years ago, and as our lease was about to end, it was the perfect time to buy!

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They (well, Google) say that buying a house is one of the most stressful things you will do in your life. Those of you who have been reading Quintessentially English for a while will know that we've not had the best of luck when it's come to house hunting. Let's see, there was the house we rented in Worcester which was infested with rats! Then there was the nightmare of a time we had when trying to rent our current property, but you can read about that here.

To keep the stress of buying a house to a minimum we have followed these steps and so far things haven't been too bad. At least I haven't had a nervous breakdown yet.

1. Figure out how much you can afford.

Research is the key to buying a new home. We started this process a few months ago by looking at our bank accounts to help us establish our current outgoings such as rent, utilities, and food. This gave us a ballpark figure to work to with the mortgage repayments.

We then went online to research mortgage deals, such as the government's Help to Buy scheme which is a great for people getting on the property ladder as you only need a 5% deposit! You'll find a lot of great advice online from various sources but Money Saving Expert, and The Money Advice Service were my favourites.

facebook.com/HelptoBuyScheme

2. Get a taste for the market.

Once we had an idea of what we kind of mortgage we could afford, we used property websites Rightmove and PrimeLocation to see what kind of properties were on the market for the price we wanted. By doing this we were also able to limit certain areas based on cost or desirablity. This came in handy when we spoke to a mortgage advisor.

3. Get a mortgage promise. 

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Now, fellow expats, comes the "fun" part. Because of my status in the UK not all mortgage companies would lend to us, in fact very few would. Before getting our hopes up we spoke to an Indepedent Financial Advisor, who did some more research for us. Not going to lie, there seemed a point when our house buying dreams might be dashed. However, we were able to speak with a mortgage advisor at Halifax who made all our dreams come true! Well at least a promise of dreams, as a mortgage promise is an agreement, in principle, from the bank/lender that they will give you a mortgage once you find the right property.

When getting a mortgage promise you should come as prepared as possible, this will save you from having to go back multiple times. Be sure to bring with you:

• Passport (and Visa if applicable)
• Account Statements from the past 3 months
• Proof of Address (Driving License or a Utility Bill will do)
• Payslips from the past 3 months

4. Find a property.

Now comes the actual fun part of buying a property, the actual finding of that property! Once again we used Rightmove and PrimeLocation to search for property and arrange viewings for the ones we liked. I'd also recommend calling estate agents and speaking to them personally. This way you're on their radar and they'll contact you when they get a property come up to your specifications even before they post it online.

The property search was slightly easier for us as after three years of living in Milton Keynes we have a better idea of what areas work for us. If you're not sure or moving to a new area, I recommend using Google Street View so you can virtually walk around the area and get a taste for it. Make sure you don't just jump at the first house you like and see a few, and also make sure you have multiple viewings at different times of the day if possible.

In the end we selected a lovely property in a little village on the outskirts of Milton Keynes. We saw it at night and during the day which gave us completely different perspectives and helped us realise that it was the perfect first home for us.

via Doc Searls

5. Make an offer.

With our chosen property, we made an offer lower than the asking price. I'd always recommend going in lower than you're willing to pay. The worst that can happen is the vendor says no and you raise the stakes. In our case the did decline, but in the end we were able to come to an agreement that worked for both parties.

And so our property journey ends for now, stay tuned for the next instalment in which we will cover applying for a mortgage and other fun!

Q: Have you bought or are you looking to buy a property in England? 
Any advice?

Erin x

7 Renegade Travel Tips From a ‘Chief World Explorer’

*The following is a guest post from my friend and all-around legend, John Beede. John is a motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur, and adventurer. He goes scuba-diving with great white sharks in South Africa, skydiving in New Zealand, and rock climbing - he recently got back from climbing Mt. Everest.  

His next adventure is to get the best job around the world - Jauntaroo's Chief World Explorer. Out of the 3,000 that applied John has made it into the Top 50 and he needs your help to make it to the Final 5!

If you find these tips entertaining, useful, or downright offensive, please support the author in becoming 'Chief World Explorer' by clicking the red ‘Like’ button at http://LikeJB.com. No registration. Won’t even post to Facebook. 

UPDATE: Although John Beede unfortunately did not become Jauntaroo's 'Chief World Explorer', he is still travelling the world and giving talks. To find out more about John Beede please visit climbonsuccess.com

John Beede on the summit of Mt. Everest

1. How to Become Hero to 30 Strangers in 1 Hour 

This is my favorite technique when visiting a new place. Visit 5 bars, pubs, or clubs during daylight hours. Ask for the manager and tell her, ‘I’m organizing a pub crawl for 20-30 guests tonight. I’d like to make this one of the stops, what kind of deal can you give me, per person, for drinks?” Aim for $2.00USD or lower, depending on the country. This is a deal for the bar because they’ll get an instant party upon your arrival (I’ll explain how to get the people in a moment) Being OK with pitchers will come in handy. Repeat this process at 4 or 5 locations and create your lineup. 

Now head a hostel. Tell the front desk, “I’ve got a pub crawl set up for tonight and I’ll give you $5 bucks for every person you guys sign up.” Explain necessary details. Repeat at 3-5 hostels. Also, personally round up people you meet at your own accommodations. 

Charge $20, in advance, for a drink at 5 stops. This is a deal for the bar, a deal for the hostel, a deal for other travelers, and you become everyone’s hero for the night. Oh, and if you’re following my math, you profit $5 per person, so, with an entourage of 30, you’ll profit $150 bucks for your trouble! 

Whitewater rafting in Costa Rica.

2. How to Accidentally Upgrade to First Class

I ran the Denver marathon and had a flight the very next day. While boarding the plane, I was so sore that I accidentally fell into an empty first class seat. People were walking down the aisle so zombie-like that I figured I’d just wait for them to pass. Soon, I realized… “nobody is asking me to get up!” To my delight, the flight attendant came by, “Sir, may I interest you in a glass of champagne?” 

“Why yes you may. In fact, champagne is of highest interest to me, ma’am. Thank you kindly,” I replied. It was a pleasant flight with a lot of leg room… 

Take what you like from this little accidental anecdote. Just know that you ever find yourself too sore to stand, with a smile and some moxie, you could get an upgrade to first class… 

Kitesurfing in Tarifa, Spain

3. How to ‘Hire’ Local Tour Guides 

Connecting on social media, especially couchsurfing.org and globalfreeloader.com is an awesome way to meet a local tour guide who will show you around. Here’s the trick: DON’T ask for a place to stay. Just offer: “I’m coming to (Berlin), and I’d love to see something that locals do. If you’re going to be going to dinner or drinks with friends over (these dates), I’d love to join you for a bit to see how (Berliners) live. Drink is on me! Let me know…” 

Send to a dozen or so people and someone will bite. If you’re cool in person, they’ll show you around the rest of town and may even offer a place to stay! 

4. Coupon-Free Discount Transportation 

On the plane, in baggage claim, or by the airport taxi stand, look for people with backpacks. SMILE and say, “hey guys, I’m a budget traveler, trying to get to the city, wondering if you’d be interested in sharing a cab?” Sometimes they’ll have too much luggage, too many people, or they’re just grumpy, but I’d say this works 60% of the time. 

Failing that, here’s another trick. See that fancy hotel offering free shuttle service to their customers? Tell the driver, “hey, I’m not staying at the hotel, but it’s really close to where I’m going, can I give you a X dollar tip if I can catch a lift there?” Whereas X = half what it would have cost you in a cab, train or bus. You never know unless you ask. 

5. Employ the “Give Get Free” Technique 

If you can give value to a hotel, restaurant, or city attraction, you can often score free or highly discounted room, board, and entertainment. 

Here’s what I mean: write positive online reviews for a hotel (offer a package of several 5 star ratings across many review sites), feature a restaurant on your YouTube channel, or write a blog post about the sweet adventure you had on Captain Jim’s Alaska Fishing tour. Sidebar: Captain Jim really was a great guy… until he shot a 90 pound halibut between the eyes with a rifle…. 

6. Score Free Flights, Hotels, Airport Lounge Access 

There are heaps of credit card offers out there which will score you free flights and 5 star hotel stays. Refer to thepointsguy.com for the best deals to suit you, but I will throw in my vote for the Southwest Airlines Visa. Also, the American Express Platinum card has a fee but pays itself back multiple times over with free global entry, free airport lounge access, and more. You really don’t know what you’re missing out on. 

7. How to Make it Actually Matter 

Having a lot of passport stamps but not becoming a more compassionate and worldly person is like being the rich guy with no friends. Don’t be ‘that guy.’ Instead, let me suggest how you can make your travels significant. 

The first few trips you take, everything will feel new, amazing, and you’ll get some great photos, memories, and updates for your social media. Then, the novelty of travel wears off and you start to forget where you are half the time. Worse, you can’t even figure out why you’re there. 

This is why I advocate volunteering. This does not necessarily mean paying thousands to a voluntourism company, though it could. Moreso, it means connecting with a meaningful cause in a place that is not your home and becoming a part of something bigger than yourself. Sarah Carrol created volunteeringforfree.org, a directory of low and no-cost worldwide volunteer projects where you can truly make a difference. Pick one that inspires you. Trust me, this is the best way to have travel make it’s mark on you. 

Jane Austen Book Club: Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park (1814) was Quintessentially English's Jane Austen Book Club's novel for August. In previous months I have finished Jane Austen's novels long before month-end but with Mansfield Park I really struggled. I found it really hard to get interested in the story and once I put the book down, I would forget about it. Fanny Price might have been the paradigm of wholesome values in the 1800s, but for my modern perspective she is a timid goody-two-shoes!

Unlike Austen's previous heroines, I found it incredibly difficult to sympathise with Fanny, there is not one ounce of her character that I could take in a modern light. The most obvious example of her "goodness" is when she refuses to take part in the play as she believes the content is inappropriate (it contains adultery) and that her uncle, Sir Thomas, would not approve. Even her cousin, Edmund, who dreams of being a vicar agrees to take a role in play. True he only agrees after he finds out that Mary Crawford would play his love interest, but still, come on Fanny!

Billie Piper as Fanny Price in ITV's Mansfield Park (2007)
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Besides the fact that Mansfield Park has an annoying heroine, Jane Austen's third novel is also her most controversial. Like Jane Austen's early works, Mansfield Park is a social commentary on the gentry-class but what makes this novel controversial is it's illusion to slavery.

Sir Thomas Bertram, the wealthy owner of Mansfield Park, is also the owner of a sugar plantation in Antigua. Although not expressly mentioned in the novel, it is clear to readers that the estate of Mansfield Park was made possible through slave labour. When Sir Thomas leaves for a year to deal with the problems at the estate in Antigua, the rest of the characters seem perfectly oblivious to the situation. You would think considering their entire livelihoods rely on how things go in Antigua they would care a bit more.

To be truthful my favourite part of Mansfield Park was finally reading about the namesake of Harry Potter's Mrs. Norris. J.K. Rowling said she named Argus Filch's cat after Mansfield Park's Mrs. Norris because the cat "is similarly odious and is hanging around in the background a lot."[1]

Mrs. Norris with her owner, Argus Filch
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With Mansfield Park done and dusted, it's time to move on to Jane Austen's fourth book and fourth month in Quintessentially English's Jane Austen Book Club - Emma. I started reading it last night, three chapters in and I already prefer it to Mansfield Park!

Q: What did you think about Mansfield Park?

Erin x