First Time Buyers Beware

Summary: Although it's a big undertaking, buying your own home is one of the wisest moves you can make. Rather than pouring money away on rent, you will effectively be investing in your property with every mortgage payment.

Although it's a big undertaking, buying your own home is one of the wisest moves you can make. Rather than pouring money away on rent, you will effectively be investing in your property with every mortgage payment. You will also become a 'homeowner', which should please your bank manager no end. You may find offers of loans and credit suddenly become a lot more frequent, and when you've just moved into a new home it can seem tempting to borrow money to kit the place out. But be careful! Most repossessions happen in the first year of the mortgage, when people find they have overstretched their finances and can't meet the repayments. These are a few factors you'll need to consider before you move: Fees and Stamp Duty You'll find there are quite a few extra costs involved here - solicitors fees for conveyancing are normally a percentage of the cost of your mortgage, plus there are other charges involved. Check with your solicitor what his or her bill will be. Stamp duty is a tax that applies on property that costs over