American Couple & Realtor Reacts: Differences in Buying a House: UK vs USA! England vs America!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

How are we going to buy our UK home? For starters, by learning the differences in home buying in England and the United States! That's exactly what this video from our dear friend at @MagentaOtterTravels teaches us today. There are SO MANY differences & LOTS to learn! We sit down with our friend Brandon who is also a USA Realtor or Estate Agent (known in the UK) to learn all the differences and what it takes to buy a house in England. We know it's different in Scotland but what about Wales & Northern Ireland? That's a future episode. So learn with us the differences and find out about a VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT in this episode! Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!

[@barbaraszymanek9471]

Unfortunately, the information provided is inaccurate. It is possible to withdraw from a contract prior to the exchange of contracts. Also the onus falls on a buyer to hire an independent surveyor to check the property. Some people make the mistake of assuming their mortgage lenders surveyor would cover all checkpoints. This is not the case as a lender is only interested in ensuring that the selling price is appropriate.

[@samk9729]

Sorry i missed the live stream @TheNatashaDebbieShow . KZbin failed to remind me. It looks like i'm going to have to back to manually checking when channels are going live if KZbin is going to continue to fail to notify of live streams. I will also set my alarm for 7am (GMT) as the streams are at around 7:30 or 8am (GMT) to ensure I don't miss the live streams in future. I am surprised as I set the bell to All Notification's. Once again, my apologies

[@thetruthhurts7675]

Scotland has a totally different system to England, and that is basically the system Canada uses.

[@crzynites6754]

one of your first questions should always be in the uk - "is the house in a chain" not all are which cuts down the buying time dramatically, always get your own survey done & always get a full survey, it little more but worth it, solicitors cost a few thousand & worth the price as it is them who do the contract exchange, the reason some fall through is because after ppl have cleared & redecorated they fall back in love with their home 😂, it's not as bad as it sounds buying a house & Bristol will also have its own estate agents for that town, sounds like your friends had a bad time of it with the buying of their home, usually it's a couple of mths & the estate agent will do pretty much all the work for you Inc keep you updated on new houses that fit your needs & sort solicitors out for you, whoever you go with, look at what their does & don'ts of what they do are 😊

[@what_im_eatin_uk]

Zoopla is another good site to use for UK buying. They show what houses have sold and for how much. So you can see what your neighbours paid and can know what yours is worth

[@ShaneH42]

I’ve never heard anyone say that they feel sorry for estate agents in the UK 😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We are so compassionate 😂

[@glastonbury4304]

Never feel sorry for an estate agent in the UK, it's the easiest job in the world....😂

[@donsava9272]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poor Estate Agent, remember they have multiple houses in their books so if one falls through there’s always another one coming up plus if the seller pulls out they may change their minds later or if a buyer pulls out there’s always another buyer. Each Estate Agent has staff who deal with the clients unless they are just starting out when it could be a family run business.

[@CarolGration]

Or Australia. 😂

[@memkiii]

@@donsava9272 So you think NOT selling a house is a moneymaking scheme - what planet do you live on?

[@MrMarkymarksurrey]

I’m British , I’ve bought three houses and your friends really have got this wrong . Basically , you put in an offer , they check you have the money or if you’re selling your home (part of a chain) then you get a survey . If survey is good you proceed . The only issue is “the chain” if someone in the chain can’t sell then everything is held up. However it’s usually pretty straight forward , average 6-8 weeks .

[@susansmiles2242]

I agree I dealt with arranging mortgages for a lot of my career and they grossly exaggerated the UK system

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Unless the seller backs out! We were unlucky!

[@01jvb]

@@MrMarkymarksurrey the average time is actually 12-16 weeks. When I bought my last house it couldn't have been simpler - I was a cash buyer and the house was empty - yet it still took 9 weeks. I bought an investment flat before that and the purchase took 13 months.

[@pabmusic1]

In England there's no contract until exchange.

[@partridge9698]

Yep, verbal/oral offers are made and accepted 'subject to contract'.

[@AdrianCurtis-n7f]

I do feel they are overcomplicating , it's not that overly complicated, there are many good estate agents in the UK Bristol is cheaper than the Cotswolds 👍🏼

[@clivewilliams3661]

The problem with UK Agents is that although they are supposed to be working for the seller it is not unusual that they have agendas that see them acting for the buyer that they may be getting a commission for. In the commercial world more often you will have each side employing property agents to solely look after their clients interests.

[@alisongibson2294]

I totally agree.

[@acommentator4452]

Also anyone can set themselves up as an estate agent. ​@@clivewilliams3661

[@lindadoswell9396]

I was married to an Estate Agent and this couple have made it sound much more difficult than it is! I have bought 9 properties over the years the answer to a quick sale is 1 try and buy an empty property therefore no chain 2 Pay cash therefore no hold up with mortgage! My husband very rarely had people back out

[@ians3586]

We paid cash for our property the problem is, with the first attempt to purchase, the seller dragged out the transaction all the while promising to complete with us and then after 4 months decided not to sell. We were fortunate to have the cash for the purchase but most people aren't in that position. They would never be able to buy a home without a mortgage and if you limit your search to empty properties you've cut out a huge part of the market.

[@fredcoleman6827]

Pay cash with no mortgage? Most people are not in the position to do that

[@dorianleakey]

pay cash? Why doesnt everyone do that instead of borrowing! lol.

[@utterlee]

Estate agents in the UK are paid a basic salary though and the 1% goes towards their bonuses on top.

[@queenirmamay]

This why I never leave born here going die here America kiss my...

[@fredcoleman6827]

As I understand it, there are no estate agents in Scotland. There, solicitors do what Estate Agents di in Wales and England

[@manoo422]

...and where does their 'basic salary' come from...??

[@alfiebetty]

Most estate agents in the UK work for an estate agency (a company that will have multiple rental and for sale properties on their books at any one time). The agency will pay their staff (estate agents) a salary. Commissions are earned on top

[@manoo422]

@@alfiebetty So you think house sales is run at a loss...but you think staff get bonuses...Dont ever go into business.

[@grendel1960a]

all land sales are recorded through the land registry, which is a government based service and records every land transaction, as such the selling price and any legal obligations are recorded (you can get some conditions on some land, such as the rights to light, and this also records the property boundaries. but this is the legal part of the transaction, usually handled by your solicitor, they do all the searches etc for you.

[@clivewilliams3661]

The property boundary records are generally quite superficial. If they have a plan, which many don't, the red line around the property is at least 1m wide due to the scale. Many property deeds do not have a plan, our house merely had the description "Land of three former cottages". Fortunately, the boundaries can be readily assumed. It is VITAL that the purchaser reads the deeds of the property carefully so as not to understand all the limitations that go with the property.

[@michaelmclaughlin9410]

This info is not very accurate but I sense a personal experience.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We are sharing our personal experiences.

[@Nick_r]

I have bought a number of homes here in England and it’s never taken more than 3 months from sale agreed to completion.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You were lucky!

[@Nick_r]

@ I sell before I buy and rent for a while so I am a cash buyer.

[@peterjackson4763]

Your solicitors must move faster than mine. Also things seem to have got slower since Covid.

[@YAMR1M]

We currently have a cash buyer on our house. That buyer had sold their house to a first time buyer so no chain below us... We are buying from a woman who has found a house which is vacant currently so there is no chain there too... We sold our house in September and its now December and it looks like it will be January before we get to move. The solicitors have been slow on all sides, we have supplied all the information we needed to and we had the survey done as soon as we could get an appointment for him to do the survey. We are still answering questions put to us by the buyers solicitor which I know we have supplied the information they are asking for, we supplied almost all of that before the middle of October. The speed at which a sale seems to happen is more down to the solicitors than it is the buyers or sellers..

[@fredcoleman6827]

I have just sold a house in Wales. I have already emigrated, so no chain my end. The buyer had nothing to sell, so no chain their end. It still took 5 months for the solicitors to get round to the paperwork

[@jeffthomas2364]

Love the way her husband is supposed to be the one telling this as he is the realtor, yet she keeps stopping him and correcting him, and when he is telling it right she’s watching over him like a proud parent or teacher lol You can’t get away with selling a property with structural or interior problems as you have to have an independent surveyor to inspect and survey the property to make sure it’s all in good shape and anything that isn’t is declared giving you the option to back out.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You have to understand how much my husband really hates being on camera. I've had my channel for five years, and this is the only time he has agreed to do more than 20 seconds of talking!!

[@craftinghome]

The issue mentioned about house conditions is usually covered if the buyer has a full survey done which should find any problems like rising damp, flood risks, roof conditions etc. The other thing is that if the buyer asks the seller a specific question, such as "Has the river ever caused flooding on the property?" or "Is there any issue with rising damp?" and the seller lies then you can sue them.

[@jeanauguste-f7i]

I got caught out by this a random person told me he was going to build garages on the land at the bottom of my garden. When asked if I knew of any plans for the land I was obligated to mention this. The buyers managed to get 10k knocked off the price of my house. 25 years on, no garages, the land has still not been built on. I think now it was probably the people buying my house getting someone to say this to get the price reduced.

[@denniswilliams160]

As I commented on Dara's original video In the UK HM Land Registry provides data much like the MLS including the UK House Price Index (HPI) which uses house sales data from HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, and Land and Property Services Northern Ireland and is calculated by the Office for National Statistics. The Land Register contains more than 26 million titles showing evidence of ownership for more than 88% of the land mass of England and Wales. Anyone buying or selling land or property, or taking out a mortgage, must apply to them to register: - unregistered land or property - any new owner of registered land or property - an interest affecting registered land or property, such as a mortgage, a lease or a right of way

[@CMOT101]

There is a sellers disclosure in the UK called the TA6 form and if you lie there are severe consequences.

[@djs98blue]

Yes but it’s quite narrow, mostly related to boundary disputes and building control etc, and basically if you don’t ask about a specific item prior to exchange (eg damp) the sellers don’t have to disclose it so the onus is more on the buyer to ask and examine.

[@mattheworford]

Everyone has a survey and a valuation on a property they are buying, often that is necessary for the mortgage. They've made it seem more complicated than it is.

[@margaretbarclay-laughton2086]

The figures are slightly misleading and a big difference between England and Scotland. In England there is a practice called gazumping where you have made an offer and it has been accepted but someone else comes in offering more. Your purchase will have fallen through because they have accepted the higher offer. In Scotland that would be illegal once the offer is accepted.

[@clivewilliams3661]

In Scotland the buyer also has to proceed with the purchase once the offer has been accepted. Basically in England the buyer makes an offer, which is accepted then all the surveys mortgage applications and the like proceed, but in Scotland all of that is sorted before the offer is made so that guarantees a kosher offer is made.

[@RosemaryThomas-i4d]

There are basements in the UK, they are called Cellars lol. I😂

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@RosemaryThomas-i4d We have basements and cellars in UK. Usually cellars tend to be applied to historic properties and basements to more modern ones. You will definitely find basements commonly referred to where you have a lift accessing floors below the ground floor.

[@BarryOconnor-z9q]

I am a carpenter and builder. I brought a house in 5 days in the UK. It's not a problem, too. Buying in the UK needs to use someone who understands the system if you are coming from abroad. It is called the exchange of contracts. Once you exchange contracts, you can't back out. Buyers or sellers. Then you have to wait for completion, which can take time if you are in a chain. If you are a first-time buyer or a cash buyer it can take a matter of days if like. As for condition of the building. We have so many really old buildings that will have problems. It is up to the buyers to get the building checked over and decide if they are happy to live with defects. That's what happened with buildings hundreds of years old. I can tell you everything you need to know about buying in the UK.

[@memkiii]

And in those 5 days did you get a mortgage, sell your current house, advertise, get surveys done for both properties, like any normal house buyer? No of course you didn't. So stop with the BS. You probably (if it is even true) just paid cash at an auction.

[@BarryOconnor-z9q]

@memkiii don't be rude. What kind of human are you. The kind that knows it all. You know a W*****. I had a 40% deposit and an agreed mortgage. The bank didn't need anything more with such a large deposit. I did purchase in 2002. I did not need to sell my home as i brought it in Totnes as a hoilday home. I know most people aren't in my situation. I was trying to say it is not as hard to buy in the uk as you might think in terms of the system. I lived the us for 7 years and knew their system well. So, if you finish on your high horse, l hope this answers your attack.

[@educatednumpty71]

The main difference between the US and UK is when buying a house in the UK, you are investing in Bricks and mortar that will last for hundreds of years. Whereas a US house might last for only 50-60 years before having to be rebuilt, so you are mainly buying the land. For instance, you can visit or stay at the house where the owner of the Mayflower lived which was built in 1464 because it's now a Pub. You can also visit the Capitn's house which is across the road, built around the same time.

[@marydavis5234]

I’m from the US and my house is over 100 years old, it is made with brick and concrete

[@johnchristmas7522]

@@marydavis5234 Thats why! Never understood, why American homes(wood) are so flimsy , considering the weather you get. Without shutters to, which would give some protection against flying debris.

[@educatednumpty71]

@@marydavis5234 94% of houses built in America are from Lumber as the framework. Now guess how many Houses in the UK are built using Wood as the frame?

[@timbigger1731]

@@marydavis5234 Just out of interest, which part of the US is this? Are houses different construction according to region?

[@marydavis5234]

@@timbigger1731 I live in Vermont, I have family in California, North Carolina and Georgia and all the houses are brick and concrete , you decide what materials your house in made ,not the state or government

[@timothyp8947]

So the key differences seem to be: in the US, the contract is in place when the offer is made with a limited ability to pull out during a very short 'due diligence' period an sellers are required to disclose up front; in England the contract exchange is the 'point of no return' which happens after the buyer has done their due diligence and house buying is largely 'buyer beware' so there are a lot of things you would want to check out (structural survey, local council survey, getting finance committed, flood/mining reports, …). Basically, it sounds like in the US you would only get a solicitor involved if things in your house purchase were found to be wrong; in England you usually have your solicitor for 'conveyancing' to prevent things going wrong after you’re committed. Is there an equivalent to Stamp Duty (a bit like a sales tax on house buying) and Land Registry (official 'who owns what land')? What information does a seller have to provide their buyers up-front and how long does that take to put together, given you can subsequently be sued if disclosure is not made?

[@ians3586]

Hi Timothy, this is Ian the Realtor in the video. There isn't an equivalent to Stamp Duty in Texas. There aren't any taxes associated with a real estate transaction. Instead of a solicitor, transactions in Texas are usually handled by a title company which is a neutral party to the transaction. The title company ensures that there are no encumbrances to the title (it's conveyed without any liens) and makes sure the transfer of ownership is properly recorded in the county records, which is equivalent to the Land Registry. The Texas Real Estate Commission, which sets the rules and produces the documents used in real estate transactions, has a disclosure form that must be filled out by the sellers and is usually uploaded to the MLS so that a potential buyer can see it before they make an offer on the house. The form is thorough but relatively easy to fill out. You just have to make sure you disclose anything you are aware of since this since the U.S. is such a lawsuit happy place.

[@SirBradiator]

The Chain is usually the biggest issue, if the buyer of the buyer of your buyer pulls out then your sale falls through. If you are buying a vacant possession and don't have to sell to finance it then transactions can be concluded very quickly as there are few complications from a chain.

[@Deedee-z5w]

I bought my first house and moved in, in the UK in 9 days. No chain, mortgage arranged beforehand, even 2nd house only took 3 months. We can use zoopla etc to see how much the house has sold for in the past, what the current value is, what the other houses in the street have sold for in the past. We arrange a survey to check the state of the prpery before buying

[@Sarah-ft8jr]

Was it a new build? Or an older house that at one time fell through and already had the legal work done? A week is needed between exchange and completion so I’m wondering how it was managed that quickly?

[@clivewilliams3661]

The local authority and land registry searches would normally take at least 14 days even when they had sufficient resources to do it, which they don't now have. You must have been very lucky. Last year we attempted to sell one of our houses, it went on to the market the previous Oct, we negotiated a price, which the buyer failed to get a mortgage for and the sale fell trough in February. It went back onto the market and the original buyer (which was kept from us at the time by the agent) made an even lower offer, which we accepted and despite pushing and cajoling by our solicitor nothing happened although documents were exchanged and we finally pulled the pug in Oct, 12 months after it originally went onto the market. Contrast that to the sale of our first house in 1981, where the property was advertised in the local paper on the Thursday, I was taking telephone bookings to view at 1/2hourly intervals for Friday pm and the Agent had 3 couples sitting in his office at 8.30am the following morning with one on hold on the telephone. It then went onto a bidding war, which I stopped when it reached 2.5x the price we had paid for the property 2 years previously. After that the sale went through as quickly as the official searches and solicitors would allow.

[@XiOjala]

So, Natasha, Brandon is your brother from another mother and Debbie is your sister from another mister. If you are thinking of buying a house in England, and even if you are cash buyers with the money up front, get a surveyor in to examine the property. If he/she finds any nasties but you still like the house you can drive the price down. If you use an estate agent they will have access to information you may not which you can also use to drive the price down. e.g. is there an almost identical house for sale locally or are the sellers on a bridging loan.

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

Debbie is her wife not her sister…

[@lizbramwell5085]

I think this every time I watch your videos and never say it, but you have such a good intro. I never get tired of it

[@simonmeadows7961]

I bought my leasehold flat 5 years ago. From 1st viewing to moving in was about 6 months. The time is nearly always due to the solicitors doing the paperwork. On first viewing, I decided I liked the property; second viewing was to find the flaws I could use as negotiating points on the price. It had been listed at £250k, but the seller reduced to £240k after just 10 days, which I interpreted as them being highly motivated to sell. There were some cracks in the plastering, so my opening offer was lower than asking (which is standard) but not so low as to take the p!55. I expected some back and forth and was prepared to offer £236k but they accepted the first offer of £231k. In the UK, the cost per square foot is likely to be much higher than in most of the US.

[@clivewilliams3661]

In UK, unlike the rest of Europe the purchase price is more determined by the location rather than the square footage, although this can adjust the price from that base..

[@Ukhome-s4p]

It doesn’t always take a long time to buy a house in the UK

[@PopsWhyte]

In Scotland when you make an offer you have a contract so seller cannot back out without serious penalties on them. Even a verbal offer is a contract here.

[@douglasstocks9698]

Also it's done by sealed bids with a closing date

[@chrisinnes2128]

Also the property is not yours until its registered

[@doreenbennett2454]

I think that in the UK Estate Agents are salaried and yhe commission is a bonus

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Good point!

[@stephenlee5929]

They are salaried, but who pays that salary, where does that money come from? Where does the money for the shop/office come from? Isn't that all taken from the seller's commission?

[@mamapeck8094]

Estate agents are paid on an hourly rate in line with the minimum wage and then the commission is a bonus

[@Beardychiel]

There is a need for a home report and energy survey in Scotland, paid for by seller and prepared by an independent surveyor, hard to hide defects. No warranty on appliances in cluded in sale.

[@barbaraszymanek9471]

NOTE: The buyer or seller can change their mind and pull out at any time before contracts are exchanged without penalty. This can happen weeks, or even months, into the process and can leave both parties significantly out of pocket. As many as one in three home purchases fall through for one reason or another.

[@OneTrueScotsman]

I just bought my mother a new home, that she moved into yesterday. Perfect timing for this video. The process was relatively straight forward. Though I paid in cash for it, so no mortgage to sort out. Though our solicitor did dawdle a little.

[@vaudevillian7]

Cotswolds are one of the most expensive places, it’s where the wealthy and celebrities go for their country homes. There’s lots of places like the Cotswolds all around the country though

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Definitely!

[@glastonbury4304]

@@vaudevillian7 ...the Cotswolds is like the Hamptons 😅

[@LiverPools-ib5fv]

Such as ??? There's absolutely nowhere in the uk like the cotswolds. They all have council estates and hideous cities either joint to them or surrounded by them. Not even the nicest places in Devon and Cornwall escapes these places

[@glastonbury4304]

@LiverPools-ib5fv ...huh...you've been in Liverpool too long...I can give you hundreds of places that are like tge Cotswolds and as for council estates alot of them have the salt of the earth living on them...bloody snob!!!

[@glastonbury4304]

@@LiverPools-ib5fv ...try sandbanks or loads of places in Devon and Dorset and Cumbria the list goes on...

[@roberthartley6629]

In England and Wales the seller can pull out. In Scotland it is a done contract when you agree to buy and sell. Off course, if they are skint then you wont sue them but if they pull out and sell to someone else for more money you can easily sue them for the extra money and your expenses so people don't pull out unless something drastic happens like finance being pulled.

[@Bpat6169]

Dara and Ian were trying to buy a property in the Cotswolds. This is one of the most expensive and competitive markets in the whole of the U.K. So, it wouldn’t be unusual to find that a lot of properties have multiple offers on them. This would make it more difficult to get an offer accepted and for the deal to fall through. Also there isn’t a legally binding contract when an offer has been made and accepted when buying a U.K. property. The legally binding part called “EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS” only happens when the buyer signs a contract and at the same time pays a deposit 10% of the value of the offer at the time of signing. These transactions are facilitated through lawyers called “Solicitors” who work like “Title Companies” in the U.S. So…if the offer was accepted at £400,000…then the buyer is required to pay £40,000 at the time of the signing of the contract. This binds the seller to sell the property to the buyer. BUT the buyer can still pull out but he/she would loose the £40,000 deposit at that time. Also, at the time of “Exchange of Contracts” a date will be agreed by both parties to finish the whole process of purchasing the property. This date is called the COMPLETION date when the final balance of £360,000 is transferred to the sellers of the property and the keys are handed over to the new buyers…again using the same lawyers/solicitors. In the U.S, this is called the CLOSE where the entire purchase amount is transferred to the sellers using “Escrow” and “Title Companies”. Once the first part of the called “Exchange of Contracts” ” has taken place, this is when both parties know for sure that they are moving and arrangements can be made with movers, and declutterring and starting the process of setting the moving part in motion.

[@Aaron-kw4vq]

I’ve bought/sold multiple times in England and have never had to physcially pay a % on exchange of contracts, only the full agreed purchase price on completion. There was however an understanding that if I failed to complete, then a penalty would be imposed as an exchange is legally binding, but no money actually changed hands until completion. Caution : Never agree to exchange and complete on the same day… I know of examples where unscrupulous buyers have used that scenario to hold sellers over a barrel with pricing, literally phoning the seller up as they’re loading up the removal van on the day to say, ‘take £50k less for the property or we pull out’ and the poor soles felt obliged to agree...

[@ians3586]

While you're right that this is probably a better market for sellers than most areas, for both of the homes that we put offers on, there were no competing offers. On the first property the seller lead us on with continual delays on exchanging contracts that came with promises that she would complete with us and then pulled out without explanation after 4 months.

[@ians3586]

Thank you, Natasha & Debbie, for making our rather dry video entertaining. I loved your reactions!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

IAN!! It wasn't dry!! We loved learning everything! However, we will just ask you to visit homes for us when we are ready 😆 😉

[@ians3586]

@ of course! We love looking at homes!

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

When we moved when I was 16 the buyers needed to get into our house before our new house (which was also a fish & chip shop my parents were purchasing too) was available. So for about two months my parents and brother lived in a caravan on a campsite 10 miles out of Leeds, I meanwhile stayed with my friends who used to be our neighbours. All our furniture etc was piled into one room at the old house they let us use until the premises became available. I don’t think that was a typical chain experience but it was an experience!

[@chrisaris8756]

Buying a home in England is not really difficult. BUT it is made difficult by vendors/buyers/lenders changing minds and chains collapsing because one buyer pulls out. There needs to be more legal commitment to buy once an offer has been made, but as I say people pull out all the time because there is no penalty. But the BIGGEST problem is the inefficiency (i.e.lack of interest) by estate agents who feel they have no further responsibility for the sale once an offer has been accepted. And total incompetence and lack of interest by solicitors. It is these people who make it hard. I have done my own conveyancing several times (the legal paperwork) and it really is not hard. If solicitors got their fingers out it could be done in a short time, but they drag their heels to justify their huge fees. Every time I have done my own conveyancing the only mistakes made have been by the other party’s solicitors. One even went on holiday on the completion day and completely forgot to arrange the transfer of funds. If you get an efficient solicitor in England look after them, they do exist but are rare.

[@chrisaris8756]

Estate agents do very well because they do virtually NO work. They come to your property, suggest a price, if you agree to that they will circulate the details in a lacklustre manner and that’s about it. They will ring when a prospective buyer wants to view and normally expect you to show the buyer round. You usually find if a place is slow to sell the agent puts in less and less effort. Often you have to change agents or put the property with several (which means you pay a higher percentage as they are no longer some agent) in order to get plenty of views. Once an offer has been accepted most agents disappear into the background leaving it to the vendor/ purchaser and their solicitors to progress the deal. I have had a few recently who have been more proactively involved and that’s very helpful, but it is a long way from being the norm.

[@MKPFave]

We've recently had to sell our parents house, due to bereavement. We employed a nationwide chain, which I won't name and shame, but needless to say they were horrendous. After 3 viewings in six months and numerous excuses as to why that was, we waited out their contract, so no fees. We employed a local Agent, they were marvellous, regular communication and many viewings. The only delay being the Land Registry. About 8 years ago my parents decided to put their house into trust, therfore saving the hassle of Probate. Originally the house was owned by the Council, as used by employees, the only one on the street. My parents moved in in 1969 and rented. When Mrs Thatcher offered the option to buy these properties, my parents jumped at the chance. Very,very reluctantly the Council had to sell for 'a song' but there was a caveat, they would only sell the house & not the land it was built on and would only offer a 99 year lease instead of the 999 standard. My parents tried to buy the lease numerous times over the years but their excuse not to sell were vast, making the property very difficult to sell. Anyway when arranging the trust, they managed to get the Council to sell. But, they forgot to re-register with the Land Registry. So we had to go through Probate anyway to register retrospectively. It's been a bit of a nightmare tbh. And after all that the house is still classed a Leasehold even though the lease belongs to the property owner, as long as they remember to register it... Nothing ever goes smoothly 😒

[@mamapeck8094]

Contracts aren’t exchanged until a week or so before completion

[@Vialli100.]

I purchased my house in Northumberland with cash ( I am English).. I made an offer and got it under market value.. The purchase took around 6 weeks, the property was empty to begin with and after the survey and the property being put right (Electrically).. I moved in 2 weeks after the purchase.. It took me 2 weeks to redecorate and make some changes, the carpets were fitted and the furniture was delivered over 3 weeks.. In total everything was ready in around 6 weeks, so it was all done for when my wife returned from holiday in Brasil (seeing her family).. We are still here, 7 years later.. The Estate agents are very good, and they made my offer to the seller and they came back within an hour with their price and I accepted.. It's not so difficult.. Maybe a bit harder for for non residence, as there is probably a learning curve..

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We love Northumberland! Much best value than in the South 😉

[@gillfox9899]

I've had much the same experience. I offered less than the asking price and we negotiated a price that suited both of us. I was a cash buyer and the house was unoccupied. I paid for a detailed survey and that was done and I had an emailed report less than 24 hours later. The longest part of the process can be the "search" which shows any possible concerns in the area, for example, if the property is in a deep mine area. I was able to move in within 6 weeks of first seeing the property. I've bought 3 properties before this and it never took for than about 8 weeks

[@IsaacHunt-op7fc]

If you’re not reliant on selling a house to buy another in uk you see houses for sale that are advertised as “chain free” that avoids the chain situation it’s just you as the buyer and the seller of the property, makes things a little easier

[@christophermann2800]

Don’t get a Home Buyers survey, they are pointless and more for the lender, get the most expensive survey as it will check almost every thing about the property.

[@neuromancer8668]

Would also recommend getting an environmental search done in addition to the full survey as it can reveal issues regarding whether the house was built on potentially contaminated land such as a former factory site, flood concerns etc. Normally about £50 to £100 depending on depth of detail required.

[@LearnTechnicalSketching-y1e]

I bought my current home in the UK, and it took just over 6 weeks. My previous home following my divorce took approx 2 months. It is rare for it to take much longer. There can be a 'chain' of sellers, but it is rare to be more than 2 or 3 properties in a chain. Both parties can withdraw from a contract if they wish to in the UK, after all circumstances change. It is possible also in the UK without a solicitor or an estate agent (realtor), however you can leave yourself open to all sorts of legal problems. For the property I own at the moment, I have deeds that go back to the 18th Century. The contracts in the UK are written and agreed in advance but not finalised until the 'exchange' date, it is then that the contracts are exchanged and binding.

[@ianmusicstein]

I found the process of buying a house in the UK a nightmare vs what I was used to from South Africa. Rightmove does give you sales history of the property as well as history of sales in the area. Both parties need a solicitor (Lawyer) and it is very much a buyer beware. In SA, it's one lawyer and seller has to bring the house up to code re plumbing, electricity etc and once the banks have confirmed money (if not a cash buyer) there is no withdrawing allowed for either party. The entire process in the UK was very slow, frustrating and stressful.

[@whawkins88]

In the UK the buyer and seller both engage a law firm (solicitor) who draw up contracts for the sale and for the purchase. When all the checks have been completed contracts are exchanged between seller and buyer. At this stage the contacts are binding on both parties. Three months is a typical timescale.

[@DaChaGee]

Unlike England, in Scotland if you agree to the purchase, it's a fixed contract. In England, someone can make another (higher) offer after you've made an offer and agreed to it.

[@timglennon6814]

In Scotland and you are in a ‘Chain’ and someone pulls out of the chain, you can sue that person. In England you can’t do that.

[@debbie8674]

Strange, how doing something so basic, as buying a home can be soo different.😊

[@marklawton5753]

So interesting how it is seen as basic in the USA . MOG! it is not in the England, it's a minefield! There are so many ways it could be improved here we really are putting our faith in the hands of the gods. There is no legal commitment to sell or buy right up until the ink is literally on the paper. My brother lost a purchase because the seller said at the point of signing the contract that she could not face leaving the house and pulled out, He lost all the costs he had incurred up to that point with no route to recoup his losses.

[@01jvb]

Why should it be the same ? We are completely different countries, with different cultures, thousands of miles apart.

[@marklawton5753]

@@01jvb I think there is a misunderstanding here. Neither my or Debbie 8674 Statement said that it should be the same rather we are both highlighting just how different the process is in each country.

[@ians3586]

This is Ian the Realtor in this video. Despite my accent I've been a British citizen all my life, over twice as long as I've been an US citizen with extensive time in both countries, so I have a unique perspective on both countries. There are a lot of things in the UK that are better than they are in the US. For example unlike in the US, you don't have to worry about being shot by someone on the road or in a shopping centre in the UK. That being said, there are things that the UK could adopt from the US that are better. The process used to buy and sell houses is one of those things.

[@vixjam]

I’ve lived in Bristol since Uni. It’s such a great city everyone loves visiting. It’s expensive to buy property but definitely worth it. So close to London, Cornwall, Devon and Wales -perfect

[@peterjackson4763]

After I was made redundant in 2013, I decided to go into letting property. So I have bought over dozen properties since then and sold four, including moving my own home. I am currently in the process of selling a property to the tenants. We agreed a price over six months ago and it is still not complete. The agents are the same for both of us, and also the letting agent. We have separate solicitors to protect our own interests. The property was never advertised, and a small fixed fee was agreed, which the buyers are paying. I am planning to use the proceeds to pay off the mortgage on another property, which is due to come off a 5 year fixed rate later this month, and the new rate would be much higher. I expected to have already completed. This week I agreed to an indemnity policy to cover the windows since I don't have any record of a guarantee from when double glazing was fitted before I bought it. I also checked that electrical work I had done a few years ago was too minor to need building regs approval. Last year I sold another house to the tenants. It went through in about 4 months. That house was built in the 1880s and still has the original slate roof. It overlooks the first school I went to. I replaced it with a newly refurbished house built in the 1950s.

[@dorianleakey]

regarding rising damp, the main cause is plastering over old fashioned lime mortar in old buildings with modern mortar and plaster, which traps the moisture causing it to rise, or adding new bits on to old houses as extensions.

[@AlisonSmith-jy5tq]

In the UK the adage buyer beware applies. So it’s up to the buyer to undertake due diligence with the help of a solicitor. I’m not sure what checks you do in US but in the UK you can instruct a building surveyor to undertake a survey at different levels of detail depending. The solicitor will also check multiple issues like that the seller owns the land and there are no other interests of third parties, that the land the house is built on isn’t on top of mining or that any additions have building consent(permitted) this takes some time to complete the time also includes the mortgage company going through their processes to release finds to the buyers solicitor but when done at this point both buyer and seller can then complete the contract and the buyers solicitor releases the funds to the seller on the buyers behalf.

[@DJKav]

Missed off is that properties can be freehold or leasehold. Freehold means that you own the property and the land within the boundary as on the title deeds. Leasehold means that you essentially become a tenant of the property or land. Usually it's the land the property is built on that is owned by someone else (who is the freeholder). The leasehold is usually long term, and you generally pay a nominal fee (eg £10) to the freeholder every year. A leasehold also mostly come with a covenant that will describe the lease in detail, with stipulations and restrictions. The leasehold may also not be renewed by the freeholder, and all property on that land falls to the freeholder (extremely rare). Then you have to find a new place to live.

[@alysoncaddick6344]

Yes! Come to Bristol! There's a house for sale in my road ❤

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

How much 💵??

[@glastonbury4304]

Oh you've got Dara and Ian again my favourite couple ❤

[@ians3586]

Thanks so much Jamie. You've made my day!

[@glastonbury4304]

@ians3586 ...you've got the best visit the UK site on youtube...👍😉

[@David-g7k9e]

Roofs in the UK are not usually a problem as many roofs have been on for a hundred years or more and are still good for the future.

[@kristinapettersson1948]

wow it sounds very complicated to buy a house in England. Good video with lots of info. nice to see Brandon again.😊

[@mattbaker3797]

The biggest difference between England and Scotland is that the price the property is advertised at is advertised at “offers over”. So it’s not uncommon say for a house that’s advertised as Offers over £500000 to actually cost the buyer £520000 as it starts bidding wars. Often in the uk houses will go to sealed bids so the buyer writes down how much they are willing to pay for the property and hands it the the Estate Agent. There might be 10 or more other sealed bids so you get the house if you’re the highest bidder.

[@NauiByeolEge]

I worked in a Highland company with an estate agency attached until two years ago. Nearly every property we had for sale went to sealed bids as there were so many interested parties. One remarkable outcome was a property listed for offers over £350,000 that sold for £510,000 under sealed bid. It's not always the highest bidder either. On the islands, some folks will take a lower offer if it's a local over someone buying a second or holiday home with a higher offer.

[@jennaking710]

In Scotland once an offer is accepted you do get the short contingency period where you can check things but it's short (I don't think there is a specific time frame, you'd agree that when you put in the offer and the seller might refuse if they have an offer with no short contingency) but then you do exchange contracts and buy weeks before you get the keys. In England you don't exchange contracts until the day you get the keys so that's why sellers can pull out - there is no contract. In Scotland as well the seller has to have a Home Report before they can advertise (they pay for this) and this covers an inspection of things such as any rising damp in the property, and also gives a valuation of the property. It's then up to the seller and the buyer if they accept/offer over or under the valuation. In Scotland you get your lawyer involved when you want to make an offer and they look after your interests and point out anything you might have missed in the Home Report - you pay them a flat fee. I don't know if there is a video on this somewhere but I am pretty sure mortgages in the UK (these are UK wide not England/Scotland different) are very different than in the USA, at least I'm sure the UK mortgage I have is different from the USA mortgage my friend has. I got a 25 year mortgage on a 5 year fixed deal (fixed as in the payments I made every month stayed the same for 5 years and so did the interest but after 5 years the interest could change and my payments could as well). After the 5 years were up I moved to another mortgage provider with a better deal and I could pay extra towards my mortgage which lowered the amount I would borrow over all (paying quicker doesn't reduce the cost of the property but it reduces the interest on the loan of the cost, so say I borrowed £200,000 for 25 years and if I spent 25 years paying it back I'd be charged £60,000 in interest, if I pay back money quicker I'm still paying back £200,000 for the loan but then only paying back £30,000 in interest. You always pay back everything you've borrowed, but you can reduce the interest cost on what you borrowed over your mortgage term). Anyway, by moving around my mortgage and making extra payments on an original 25 year mortgage I paid back less money than originally forecast and paid it off 10 years early. I am sure my friend in the USA pays the same total of interest costs over their mortgage term regardless of if they pay back early or not.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for reacting to our video, friends! ❤ Cheers! Dara

[@wobaguk]

I think thats what the video skips over, after finding a buyer, there is then a 28-56 day closing period, at the end of which there is an exchange of contracts. During that period, the two sides will be doing credit checks, doing surverys, getting info together and such, and when its all done, then there is the exchange of contracts. Contracts arent signed at the begining, its just an agreement to move forward with the process with a buyer. So there is ample opportunity for something to go wrong or change in the circumstances of either party, and it all dissolves because the contracts havent happened yet.

[@MargaretChapman-k1y]

Advice from my solicitor was never to sell or buy from people getting a divorce as it might take a long time to go through! That was true in England. I now live in Scotland and bought and moved into my home in one month. Much easier with fixed prices and once accepted, no going back for the seller or buyer. Been here 32 years now!

[@helenb1374]

I'd agree to that advice. The first house I looked at buying was from a couple divorcing. They pulled out and left us looking again. This was in the late 80s and as everything was going up at such a rate we ended up with a much smaller house when we found a new one.

[@michaelmclaughlin9410]

You will easily get a place in Bristol which is a brilliant part of the UK and your Estate agent will help you all the way.

[@mikesullivan3420]

Bristol a brilliant part of the UK? I’m guessing you’ve never been there before. It’s an absolute shithole- why do you think it’s the butt of so many jokes about the UK? Brilliant my arse 😂😂😂

[@MaoZhu-j6q]

A house in the UK is just a commodity. If you buy a car you go to car show rooms and look for what you want, you look at all the specifications and whether the car if not new is in good condition, yes you may get a used car inspected. What you do not do is pay an agent to find you a car. A house is no different. You look for what you want, not what an agent tells you suits your needs. Another major difference is the house itself, many UK houses are very old and built very differently to US houses they come with all sorts of conditions that will be written into the deeds of the house which will in many cases place conditions on what and what not you can do to that house. You may be restricted in what you put in the garden, you may be restricted on whether you can change the look of the windows etc. All of these things added up is why villages and towns in the UK are so different. You may own the house, but what you can do with it is in many cases tightly controlled, in some places even down to the colour you can paint the door. House buying in England is not straight forward.

[@adriantippins3605]

It's easy to make the correct offer on a property in the UK. All the data, sales history and comparisons and average data is all readily available. A lot of transactions do fall through as neither party has any protection until the final deal is done. The is also a lot of "gazumping" here in the UK. This is where a seller agrees an offer with someone and the sale of the property progresses. The buying then spends out on lawyers and inspections, only to find that someone has offered the seller more money. They then stop the sale with the current buyer and switch to a new one. That is gazumping.

[@clivethewritermadenglishma4042]

Buying in UK is not as bad as they made it sound. A normal purchase will be as quick as a few weeks to three or four months. Your solicitor guides you through it all. You can expect to pay around 5% to your solicitor. The deposit is usually 10% if you are using a mortgage . Paying cash there’s normally no upfront deposit . All transactions are done through your solicitor and they may require the deposit paid into their account so they actually handle the money transfers. It’s not that difficult. Come on over and take a look.

[@graemefrew1789]

What do you mean by paying 5% to your solicitor. As a deposit perhaps but certainly not as a fee.

[@clivethewritermadenglishma4042]

@@graemefrew1789 Yes in all my house buying, 4, I've had to pay the deposit for the house purchase, normally 5% but in one case 10%, to my solicitor before the mortgage is transferred to him too. This might not be the case everywhere in UK but it was for me.

[@PhilipMarsh-cs9bx]

I recently bought a house in London it took a total of 6 week’s. It Canterbury Kent, where I am originally from it will take around the same time. This is if the property is vacant when you buy, if not, can take up to three month’s maximum.

[@michelletrudgill4573]

Enjoyed that. Costs alot to sell and buy in UK, alot of money in buying and selling to be made. Glad we are not having to do it ever again in our life time. Now popping over to Brandons channel. Thankyou girlies for being you ❤❤

[@alastairhamilton6572]

Perhaps worth mentioning that (in almost every case) anyone selling a house in Scotland needs to provide every potential purchaser with a copy of a 'Home Report' which is an independently-prepared inspection/survey report. If the buyer wants to commission their own (and perhaps more detailed) survey, they can do so, and the offer that they make can be conditional on the survey being satisfactory. Other conditions can be added to the offer, for example that the seller demonstrates that there is a legal right of access to the property across any other land. The other differences between Scottish legal processes and those applying in England and Wales mean that we can't really refer to a 'UK' property buying process. All the comments about sellers changing their minds and selling to a higher bidder don't really have any relevance in Scotland, because the offer is binding once accepted, subject only to the fulfilment of any conditions. In Scotland, homes are normally advertised at 'offers over' an asking price. It's a blind bidding process and one difficulty for Scottish buyers is that they find it difficult to know how much over the asking price they should offer. In recent years, the percentage over has varied by area and over time, depending on supply and demand. Sometimes, offering 10% over the asking price (or even less) will secure the property. At other times and in other locations, it's not unknown for the percentage to hit 20% or even 30%. Your estate agent of solicitor will usually have some idea of market conditions, though. In fact, although much law does apply across the UK, the Scottish and English legal systems are based on different principles. The court systems are entirely different. You could just move to Scotland!

[@elizabethsteven9797]

It took seven months for my house move. There were twelve in the chain which was quite long. They say that there are two things in life that are stressful, giving birth and moving house. I remember a neighbour when she was moving and literally at the 11th and half hour the chain broke. A seller decided to pull out and she got the news just as their last item of furniture has been packed in the removal van. Everything had to be put back in the house. I can't remember how long after that they moved but it was a nightmare for them and everyone else in the chain.

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

😲😲

[@iainhughes8110]

Although optional, it is generally common practice in England for a buyer to commission a survey of the property. This is usually when they are keen to buy- surveys are quite expensive and time consuming - and the buyer has usually put in an offer on the property already "subject to survey". If the survey reveals issues that the buyer doesn't/can't deal with the issues, the purchase offer is withdrawn, or the sale price is renegotiated.

[@Pcologist]

There are so many things wrong in this cursory evaluation, having bought and sold 6 houses for my family the newest build was 180 years old and all had structural surveys carried out and all purchases went through in 12 - 15 weeks all within the agreed time. There is trust in the process and it works for all parties. I will agree that there are some disappointments and failures and chains are usually to be avoided by savvy buyers but you have access to all the information. One also has to be aware that there are very few wooden houses built in the UK the vast majority are bricks and mortar. My advice would be to avoid new builds where possible, and keep a very firm grip on your Estate agents and solicitor stay in control of your purchase.

[@clivewilliams3661]

In our experience the post pandemic economics and rate rises have cause delays in the purchase systems with inner city e.g flat/apartment prices being quite volatile.

[@bequia86]

If the seller is asked to sign a contract before the exchange of contracts then that's the buyer protecting themselves from gazumping. Gazumping is where the seller rejects a previously accepted offer for a higher offer.

[@davehogg63]

We in England used to have a rent-to-buy system and that's how I came to buy my house, depending on the time you had rented the amount to be paid was calculated. In my case the mortgage was reduced to approximately 55% of the value of the freehold property, Freehold means the house and all the attached land are mine in perpetuity, Leasehold implies the land was mine for a fixed period, normally 75 to 99 years. This however no longer applies as the town councils have contracted the rentals to private companies.

[@Trinaluce]

Yeah this is worst case scenario! Average time from offer to moving in is about 12 weeks, but a lot of things affect that. These people were also buying leasehold as opposed to freehold, which can be more complex. A sale goes through as ‘sold subject to contract’ until the contract exchange point where the completion/moving date is agreed by all parties (usually a couple of weeks between the two). If anyone drops out prior to exchange, bad luck. Anyone dropping out after exchange is subject to a financial penalty - usually around 10% of the value of the property. Come to Bristol though, it’s lovely! The Cotswolds and Bath are super close by but way WAY more expensive property wise.

[@deeboneham2738]

Glad to see you intro’ing another of your friends. It always add another form of interest…

[@flemishhaggis3474]

I've only moved 3 times but each time it's been a very simple experience. The last move took the longest - 5 months but that was because I was buying a property from a deceased's estate and they had to wait for the Probate before they could legally sell it. Luckily I had a first time buyer waiting for mine so it was a very short 'chain'

[@keithgrant7950]

If buying with cash and no house to sale all transactions can be carried out in 6 weeks. What they did not tell you is that some of the surveys needed are carried out by the local council and this is where some of the delay comes from, as the data is all on the computer it should only take 2 hours to send the info but for some unknown reason it can take upto 2 months for it to come through. I had personal experience when I bought my first house. The annoying thing is I know how the system is supposed to work through my qualifications, a HND in Building Studies and a BSc hon in Property and asset Management along with being taught how to survey buildings (which I did professionally for 9 years for a top Facility Management company). It has been postulated that with all the data available at the time of sale it can be done in six days through electronic means upto final signature.

[@anguspaterson5713]

They’re getting quite a few things wrong here - 1) the buyer does have someone representing them/working for their best interests: their solicitor. But that’s after price negotiation. 2) you can negotiate on price but as in the US, the seller doesn’t have to accept offers under their asking price, and there is a website called Zoopla where you can see what properties have previously sold for. Values changes though, so it isn’t necessarily that useful to know what a house sold for 3 years ago. Only if a house on the same street was sold within the last 6 months or so would you have a solid reference point. 3) There are separate actions to exchange contracts (which legally locks you in, but only after buyers have had surveys conducted, enquiries answered and are happy) and ‘completion’ (which is the transfer of funds) and there can be weeks in between the two.

[@LukeCaddyUK]

This isn’t strictly true information across the board, you can have a free estate agent representing you but generally it’s for homes that the particularly estate agent have listed with them. It sounds difficult but it’s really not. If you’re buying a house in the UK (my hometown Bristol in your case), then you wouldn’t have the issue of your own chain because you wouldn’t be waiting for a buyer. Many houses will state on Rightmove “no chain”, which means if you haven’t got your own chain then there’s no complications. When I bought a house in Bristol, I didn’t have a house to sell and the house I was buying didn’t have a chain either, so it went through in about 2 months (due to me trying to organise my finances). It’s just different here but may sound overwhelming to someone who is used to things being done differently.

[@dianeknight4839]

Scotland has an easier and better system. I moved from Scotland back to England and it proved complicated and expensive. Because I was moving to technically "another country" I had to employ an English solicitor to work with my Scottish solicitor. In Scotland the Estate Agent is like your Realtor and deals with all aspects of the sale of your property and purchase of new. In the UK the Estate Agents are simply property listers, you need a separate solicitor to deal with the legal side. In Scotland the whole process takes max 6 weeks for completion. England is much slower and you must not take your eye off the ball. eg: I completed on my Scottish home on the 14th Sept. the English solicitor knew this was the date. I arrived in England along with the moving van only to find the English solicitor had not completed his end. I had the keys so I could at least move my furniture in, however I could not legally live there until my English solicitor completed and released the money to my Mortgage company. I had to stay with my Father and stage a sit in at the solicitors office before finally everything was complete. Brandon is a catch. Natasha Bristol is not that good, may I suggest Yorkshire, you will get more for your money.

[@orcmcc]

1% may seem low, but house in England are pretty expensive. The average house price is £282000, so the average commission would be £2820 or $3595. Seeing as the average UK salary is ~£35000, an estate agent only needs to complete one sale a month to be one the living a decent life, and most are managing to average 2 sales a month putting them at the higher end of the spectrum. A high-end London agent can easily be hitting 6 figs, but they are the exception rather than the norm.

[@scottmccarter861]

hi guys great video bit over my head but great to have brandon back.

[@leehallam9365]

The responsibility is on the buyer. They will get a surveyor to survey the property to find structural problems, the solicitor (lawyer) will do checks on the deeds, land ownership rights of access etc. If they miss something it is them you sue, not the seller. For them it's pretty much sold as seen. That's why it takes longer, all the checks are done after the offer.

[@wendywilson858]

Just try to buy an empty property. We were lucky as the house we were buying the couple moved in with her parents till their house was finished. The couple buying ours were first time buyers. It took us 6 months. You can get one settled in 3 months. My neighbour moved to Wales and lost the first house they went for. The second they pulled out as there was a lot things found after agreeing. Xx

[@omegasue]

Once contracts are signed and exchanged between the buyer and seller is SIX weeks. A drawn out sale is when the seller is waiting on the purchase of his next property, especially if that seller has issues.

[@rickydawson7388]

As a purchaser in both the USA and England, the biggest difference in my experience is Realtor (or Estate Agent as its called England). In the USA, Realtors have access to all properties for sale, even those for which they aren't the agent for. In the UK, a buyer has to go directly to the agent contracted by the seller. That makes shopping harder. The buyer has to see several agents to see several homes. Its quite pedestrian and annoying.

[@jackietavarez9307]

it is typical to use an estate agent in the uk sellers use an estate agent to list their property we pay to list a property we have websites that show all listing and states which estate agent is listing the property.. a buyer looks at estate agants listing you request which houses you want to view you find a property then you make an offer if its accepted then you need a solicitor to sort out all legal issues if you are paying cash it goes through really quickly but normally it takes about 12 weeks properties are either listed as in a chain or no no chain.. estate agents have a basic pay then on top of that commission on each sale

[@cragzuk]

When I bought my last home I went to the Estate agent and they took no money upfront and arranged both a Solicitor and the Morgage. We only had to pick a property and pay the Solicitor fee upfront. After we decided which property we wanted everything was taken care off for us and we just had to go into the bank and sign the mortgage and then sign the deeds at the solicitor. It only took a total of about a month due to other people putting offers in on the property, would of been sooner had no-one else been interested in that house. It was a very simple process.

[@Rob_Infinity3]

28:49 - They're just love taps! 😂

[@hayee]

I can’t believe how different the process of buying a house is in the UK compared to the US! Id still encourage you to window shop on rightmove though! Love Dara’s videos and love yours so seeing two in one is a treat! Brandon, I’ve subscribed!

[@ians3586]

This is Dara's husband, Ian, we really appreciate your support. Thank you for your lovely comment!

[@hayee]

@@ians3586 my pleasure! My geography is awful so I don’t know how far apart you are from Natasha and Debbie but if its feasible I’d love to see a collab video!

[@ians3586]

@@hayee Unfortunately, we are about 1200 miles from each other, but, you never know, it could happen.

[@hayee]

@ oh wow that’s pretty far! Maybe if you both ever happen to be in the UK at the same time it would be easier logistically

[@mazt68]

I have bought & sold houses in England several times over the past 46 years & no estate agent has ever charged commission as low as 1%! The usual is around 2.5%. The sale contract is drawn up quickly but is only exchanged between the buyer & and sellers' solicitors when the buyer is satisfied with all searches & surveys (investigations in the US). Once contracts are exchanged, neither side can back out without penalties. It is very rare for the deal to collapse after exchange. The reason it takes so long in England to purchase/sell a property is all down to how long the various local authorities take to respond to search enquiries & of course, the length of the "chain". It is possible to exchange & complete on the same day, but Solicitors & mortgage lenders don't like this for some reason. The quickest sale I ever made took 3 weeks from accepting the buyers' offer to completion, no chain involved!

[@simondobbs4480]

Buyers in the UK can access the transaction history of all land and buildings for a small fee , via the government's land registry database. All transactions are required by law to be registered on it in a specified time period.

[@kathrynmcintosh2726]

Good afternoon watching from Perth Western Australia 🌏🦘. I watch a series called Location, location, location which follows buying properties across the UK.

[@paulharvey9149]

It is nomal practice in Scotland to have a solicitor draw-up the contracts, which are then legally binding once signed by both parties. Many people also use solicitors to organise more of the process as groups of solicitors often subscribe to joint property sales agencies and also advertise the said properties - which are nomally either fixed-price, usually for cash buyers; or more commonly, priced as "offers over" a given amount, based upon it's valuation. The bidding process is blind so far as the bidders are concerned. If you have a preference for another property but aren't sure, it's also possible to put in a "Note of Interest" which basically gives you a right to put in an offer or bid, before the final sale goes ahead, as of course your offer could still be higher than all the others!

[@chrisbrown4002]

In the UK, its the buyer's solicitor who should ask all the difficult questions about everything about the home you are buying this is signed by the seller and you as the buyer can ask your solicitor to show you what the seller has said

[@djs98blue]

There is no contact before exchange that’s the point you just make a verbal offer that can be accepted or rejected but nothing is confirmed until exchange which happens after all the surveys and checks.

[@CW1971]

When we bought our house it was so easy, mind you this was back in 2001, we had no chain either way as we were renting at the time and the seller was elderly and moving to live with her daughter. We were given 100% mortgage and went through a mortgage broker who charged a flat £100 fee, they arranged the mortgage, the solicitor etc we just went to sign papers and collect the keys.

[@davidmahan4160]

You see a house, you vist a house, you put an offer in, its up to the seller to accept or deline you haggle the price. If they agree the offer price, its sold subject to a contract been signed, the seller or buyer can pull out at any time. You will lose your survey fees if you do! Once a legally binding contract has been signed you cant pull out. Chains are a pain and they can fail at any time. New or Vacant property is very easy and quick to buy, as their is no change.

[@dejbol]

One of the first question to ask when buying in the UK is about the chain length. If it's more than 5 don't bother coz something always goes wrong and then you are waiting for someone new to buy the broken chain. If you have the finance or paying cash you don't need to get in a chain.

[@marksummerson3966]

The UK land registry has details of every property and land transactions. Anyone can get information from the land registry including prices and any covenants or special terms relating to a property. The Zoopla website has details of sold prices for properties taken from the UK Land Registry that are available to all including Estate agents/realtors. 1% or £1000 for every £100,000 is fair in the UK where the average house is £300,000 meaning an estate agent selling 2 houses per month earns £64,000pa.