UkWinds5353

We're not even sure yet about which region in the UK. Once we agreed that my wife's hometown of Manchester didn't have to be our home base that pretty much opened up a lot of options. We will see, but in terms of the area the warmer the better imo.

UkWinds5353

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...67240855.html#

This place is actually not bad at all and even has gated parking which checks one important amenity on my list. We will need a property that saves money and has expansion possibilities.

christmasoompa

Can't see any expansion possibilities with that one, it's already been extended and has a tiny garden because of that. Pretty much any parking can be gated, if it's got a driveway, you simply add the gates yourself for a couple of hundred quid. So I wouldn't restrict yourself to only properties with existing gated parking areas.

rebs

What is it that is drawing you to that area of London? I think a lot of time, people choose where to live in London based on commute times to place of work, but if you are retired/working from home I guess that is not a consideration.

Moses2013

The problem with that property is that you probably won't see much of the sun in the garden, as it's blocked by the trees? So even if London might be on paper warmer, the person near Manchester with a garden that gets all day sun, will probably get to use the garden more and feel warmer. It can make a huge difference if it's done in a clever way and you have the right property.

Pulaski

The house faces SW, so the trees in the back garden are at the NE end of the property.

Moses2013

Ok, so even worse then. While it's not the trees just the general position and size of properties vs garden size. There's actually some good interactive maps people can try to simulate shade and sun in your garden.

scot47

Too far South. No one with any sense lives to the South of Yorkshire.

UkWinds5353

I agree with you. We will interview and hire a very good estate agent in August while in the UK, and they will know exactly what the Mrs and I are seeking in a property. The biggest thing when house hunting is communication, in order for the real estate firm to understand your goals in buying a new home.
My first rule when beginning the process is to pick a place that is easier to be resold. Awesome curb appeal with as many amenities possible in a sought after school district. I look at the property as an investment then as time goes by I see it as a home. Sometimes a home becomes just a house that we might feel a need to leave later on because life choices can change. My wonderful wife feels a little differently. She bonds more with the property. My lady of the Manor.

Pulaski

Unless there has been a fundamental change in the way the real estate market operates in the UK since I left, you contact an estate agent about the properties that they have listed, not generally to trawl all listings on your behalf as a buyer's agent.

So once you identify an area where you are looking to buy, you will contact several agents, all of which are sellers agents, who will show you properties that they are contracted to sell, and they are acting on behalf of the sellers, not on your behalf.

Jerseygirl

Quite right. Estate Agents in the UK are an entirely different animal to Realtors in the US. You have to be prepared to do the leg work yourself. A UK Estate Agent isn’t going to spend the day with you, ferrying you around from property, to property.

christmasoompa

UkWinds5353

My wife!
My wife's desire to execute her plan of getting all our kids out of America and living near us in Europe. Our middle kid loves London as much as living in the States thus the London plan. She knows by getting the oldest one onboard that makes it easier to talk the middle kid into moving which eventually will convince our youngest child back with the family after he finishes University. The middle kid and our youngest are best friends and my darling wife is fully aware. My wife the Chess player.
I've told my wife that her plan could go awry especially if our youngest son meets a young lady and falls in love. There's love everywhere in California.

UkWinds5353

Thank you for that eye opening information. This is going to make the process a lot more time consuming and complicated. We were thinking the purchasing process would be similar to here in the States. Hire a agent and give them their marching orders and given some time they present findings that work best for the buyers goals. Thank God we're starting early.

UkWinds5353

That is amazing. Their fee must be a lot less than the 6% charged by real estate agents in the States.