Search Q&A
Actual experience with house hunters (not real estate agencies)
Hi, do you have experience, good or bad with the above? Can you recommend using a house hunter and if so, which one? Did they succeed in getting you a house in a situation where your own search wasnt successful? (as opposed to just saving time, for example). Did you feel they have access to property before it was published on the web, for example? Is their cost substantiated? We have time but are not finding what we want. Any experience welcome. Thanks
> We have time but are not finding what we want.
Rent or buy?
How long have you been looking?
I think you need to keep at it and be patient. Give it another 6-24 months. I've had colleagues who've spent 5 years looking for the right property or plot.
If you are really very targeted on an area, leaflet all the properties with "we are private buyers looking to buy a property like yours in this area". You might get lucky.
The only point of a house hunter would be to do the legwork for you, but they can't magic a property onto the market any better than you can yourself.
If you think about the time you're putting into it, then yes, the 3% fees they tend to charge may well be worth it, but if you have the time, to be honnest, do the work yourself.
And when you do see the right place, expect a LOT of people to be after it, so have your finance in place so you can make a quick decision.