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Call us Now 01745 605468
The key steps involved with buying a property are summarised below. If you need any further information or advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you have a property to sell, the first step in your moving journey should be to put your current home on the market.
Why is this so important? Because in most cases, you’ll need the proceeds from your existing home to fund your next purchase. Without it, you may find yourself unable to move forward — even if you find your dream home.
Estate agents and sellers often refer to this as being “non-proceedable” — meaning you're not in a position to proceed with a purchase until your property is sold or under offer. Unfortunately, this can put you at a disadvantage if another buyer comes along who is proceedable. They’ll be in a stronger position, and the seller is more likely to accept their offer over yours.
By marketing your property first, you put yourself in the best position to move quickly and confidently when the right home comes up. We’re here to help make that happen.
We can help you in sell your home. Click here to arrange a free, no-obligation valuation of your home or contact us.
On top of the cost of the house itself, there are many other one-off expenses involved in buying a home and moving.
These costs include:
Land Transaction Tax in Wales
Land Transaction Tax (LTT) has now replaced stamp duty in Wales. The new LTT system was announced by the Welsh Government in the October 2017 Budget and came into force in April 2018. LTT is payable when you buy or lease a building or land over a certain price. The new LTT taxation system is broadly consistent with the existing SDLT structure in England and Northern Ireland.
The changes are designed to make the new tax fairer, improve taxation effectiveness and to enable a focus on Welsh needs and priorities.
When you buy a residential property (freehold or leasehold) the following rates will apply to the portion of the price you pay in each band.
| Price threshold | LTT rate |
|---|---|
| The portion up to and including £225,000 | 0% |
| The portion over £225,000 up to and including £400,000 | 6% |
| The portion over £400,000 up to and including £750,000 | 7.5% |
| The portion over £750,000 up to and including £1,500,000 | 10% |
| The portion over £1,500,000 | 12% |
| The portion up to and including £180,000 | 5% |
| The portion over £180,000 up to and including £250,000 | 8.5% |
| The portion over £250,000 up to and including £400,000 | 10% |
| The portion over £400,000 up to and including £750,000 | 12.5% |
| The portion over £750,000 up to and including £1,500,000 | 15% |
| The portion over £1,500,000 | 17% |
Buying a home and securing a mortgage usually go hand in hand — and when you find the right property, you may need to move quickly to avoid missing out. That’s why we strongly recommend arranging a Mortgage in Principle before you start house hunting.
A Mortgage in Principle (also known as a Decision in Principle or Agreement in Principle) is a conditional offer from a mortgage lender stating that — based on the information you've provided — they would, in principle, be willing to lend you a specific amount.
Having this agreement in place offers several key advantages:
It shows estate agents and sellers that you're a serious and proceedable buyer
It helps you move faster when making an offer
It gives you a clear idea of what you can afford, helping you focus your property search and make confident decisions
Best of all, you can usually get this in writing to present when viewing properties or making offers — giving you an edge over other buyers who haven’t taken this step.
To make things even easier, we work with a team of trusted, independent mortgage brokers who can offer a free, no-obligation consultation.
They’ll talk you through your mortgage options, explain the associated costs, and help you understand what’s realistically achievable based on your circumstances.
Ready to take the next step? Get in touch and we’ll connect you with someone who can help.
Contact us to find out more.
Once you know how much you can afford, the next step is to start looking for your ideal home.
At Elwy, we want to make that journey as smooth as possible. To do that, we need to understand exactly what you're looking for — whether it's a cosy first home, a family-friendly space, or a great investment opportunity.
You can register your details with us online, by phone, or by popping into our office, where one of our friendly consultants will be happy to assist you. The more we know about your preferences and priorities, the better we can match you with the right properties.
Once registered, you'll receive updates on suitable properties via SMS, email, or post — whichever you prefer.
And don’t forget to follow us on social media for the latest property listings, updates, and local news.
Let’s find the right home for you — together.
View properties
This is the fun bit!
Its always good to have a good brainstorm about what exactly you will be looking for in your new home. Afterall, you can't ask for a refund if you decide you don't like it after four weeks! You may well have to make some compromises in the house you buy so decide now what your "MUST HAVES" and "NICE TO HAVES" are. For instance: is an ensuite bathroom a MUST HAVE or a NICE TO HAVE? Remember: Consult your husband/wife/partner and children - so that you are all clear and agreed on what's really important to you.
Viewings properties on our books
Viewings can be conducted from 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am - 12.30pm on Saturdays. (Evenings and Sunday under some circumstances) You can book a viewing by phone or email or through our on-line 'Book a Viewing' link presented against each property you find on our property search engine.
We usually conduct all property viewings as the Vendor may not always be present. Sometimes, a vendor gives us specific times for viewings, although we do ask them to be as flexible as possible.
After the viewing we will answer any immediate questions and usually contact you the next day for your thoughts and general feedback.
Please be on time for viewings. We will arrange to meet you at the property. We usually allow a 30 minute viewing slot for your viewing, but larger properties may require more time.
How exciting! - You've found the house of your dreams and you want to make an offer.
Let's hope we've found it for you.
As soon as you've found a suitable property, we'll put your offer to the seller, verbally and in writing. We always aim to communicate your offer on the same day. The offer will be subject to a contract being signed and there are no legal obligations on either side until this is done.
Sometimes there may be a process of price negotiation and by working with us, both vendor and buyer can benefit from the expertise of our consultants, who will work hard to facilitate an agreeable outcome that delivers the best result for all.
When your offer is accepted, the vendor's solicitor/conveyancer will prepare a Contract of Sale. You will also need to appoint a solicitor/conveyancer to examine the contract, and raise any queries based on the title deeds and related property matters.
To help secure a legal professional, we offer a range local trusted conveyancing recommendatons. Please contact us to find out more.
When your Solicitor has replies to their enquiries, a completed satisfactory local search, a copy of a mortgage offer, a signed contract and a deposit cheque, they can then proceed to Exchange of Contracts. A deposit cheque is normally required for 5-10% of the purchase value of the property.
We recommend that by this stage you confirm arrangements for moving day - i.e. a removals service. With us, we can put you in touch with one of our reputable removals firms. Contact us o learn more about this removals service.
Contract completion can be on the date of exchange or can be anything up to 28 days later, depending on your requirements.
On Completion your solicitor hands over the remainder of the purchase money to the vendor's solicitor and you can then move into your new home.
Keys will be handed over to you by us, along with a "welcome pack" that includes a variety of sweet treats and home moving essentials plus various items of information that we expect will be of help to you - including final meter readings for electricity/gas, location of water stopcocks, meters, and so forth.
Please contact us for any further information, advice or help you may need to help you with buying your next home.
