London Link Properties have a wide and varied range of properties for sale and to let across London. Based in Limehouse on the west fringe of Canary Wharf, we offer a comprehensive service from our highly trained and dedicated team.
Starting your search
Whether buying for the first time, or for your next new home or investment, it can be helpful to consider a few questions first:
- What type of property are you looking for? We have an extensive range from new builds through to quirkier properties.
- If thinking of an older property, consider how much commitment, both in terms of money and time you have in terms of any improvements that are required.
- What local amenities would you like to be close to? What transport links do you need for your commute or leisure?
- Where in London would you like to live? There are many interesting areas, lots of smaller high streets, as well as shopping areas populated by bigger stores.
- Whether upsizing or downsizing ensure that your search criteria fully fit your needs. If in doubt our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help.
- By considering all of these factors you will be well on the way to finding the right home for you.
- Searching for that perfect property.
There are plus and minus factors to take into consideration when considering whether to purchase a new or older home.
Important things to consider include.
- Search by your available budget. This is especially relevant if considering an older property that may be in need of renovation.
- Search by specific property type, setting the minimum number of bedrooms or other features that you desire.
- Prioritise your results in order of importance. You can also use the keyword search facility to identify your specific needs.
- You can narrow your search to include either leasehold or freehold, or any other specific requirement such as chain free.
- Click on the map to locate a property by searching for properties near a particular school, transport links, shops or food and drink venues.
Viewing a property
Viewing a selection of properties is an ideal way to feel and understand what sort of property you really want. Here are some handy hints to make your viewing experience an enjoyable, stress free one.
- Allow yourself sufficient time to view the property, add some time to have a look around the locality, if viewing more than one property allow yourself plenty of time to get between venues, taking into consideration that everything may take longer than you originally anticipated.
- Whilst there is a lot of merit in buying on instinct, even if you set your heart on a property view it more than once. There may be things you did not notice the first time around.
- Always check for damp within the property, this usually manifests itself as small black spots, commonly in window recesses, bathroom sealants and room corners. Also check for cracks around doors, windows, walls or ceilings. These may suggest that there is a structural problem with the property. We always advise that you have a property survey carried out.
- Inspect the exterior of the property, again checking for damp, loose cement, rotting window frames, climbing shrubs, this is in addition to a general check that the outside is well maintained.
- If you are a sole purchaser take someone with you to view the property, everyone notices different things and they may notice something important that you have missed.
- If there are any questions concerning anything, such as rights of way, parking availability, ownership of the garden, communal areas, ensure that these are put and answered in writing at an early stage, this may prevent you from incurring unnecessary expense.
Making an offer.
Once you are sure that you want to go ahead with the purchase, the next step is to make an offer to the vendor. At the earliest stage, we need to know whether you are a first time buyer, in a chain, chain free, do you have a tentative mortgage agreement in place. This will enable us to assess what else needs looking at with a view to progressing the purchase. Please be certain that this is definitely the property that you wish to purchase in order to avoid you incurring survey expenses prior to a change of heart as they are non-refundable. Ensure that your offer is subject to contract and subject to a satisfactory survey.
Once the offer is accepted.
When the offer accepted it is always worth asking the seller to take the property off the market. They are not obliged to do so, but are sometimes willing to move the sale along. At this point we will usually ask for details of your solicitor and mortgage offer in principle to smoothly progress the sale.
In order to assist us to comply with anti money laundering regulations you will need to complete the lenders application form and forward on any supporting documentation required. These may include the following.
- Proof of address for the length of time specified by the lender.
- Proof of identification, either passport of driving licence with photographic identification.
- Your latest P60 and proof of earnings for the length of time specified by the lender.
- Bank statements for the length of time specified by the lender.
- Utility bills for the length of time specified by the lender.
​​The next steps.
A mortgage valuation survey will need to be carried out on the property. This is not the same as a property survey. There are three types of property surveys available, the details are specified below. Once the valuer has completed the valuation survey and sent their concluding report to the lenders, if they are satisfied with the price agreed, you should receive a formal mortgage offer together with the re-installment costs that you will need for the building insurance.
Whilst this is happening the solicitors will be busy progressing the draft contract of the house purchase and running relevant searches on the property. You will also need to start looking for buildings insurance, as once the property has exchanged, you are then liable for the property.
Property surveys.
There are three classes of survey, your mortgage provider will probably take a view on which type they require, the different kinds are summarised as follows.
1) Condition report - The most basic, these are most suited to newer, modern houses in a good condition:
- Costs £150-£300;
- Provides an overview of the property’s condition;
- Focuses on things like the roof, walls, windows, floors and stairs;
- Outlines significant problems but does not go into detail;
- Provides the condition of each element in a clear ‘traffic lights’ ratings which identifies problems that need varying degrees of attention;
- Does not include a valuation or insurance reinstatement.
2) Homebuyer’s report - Suitable for modern properties as well as older properties that are in a reasonable condition:
- Costs between £250-£600;
- Includes maintenance advice as well as any necessary repairs needed;
- Particularly useful for identifying and understanding the extent of problems such as cracks, damp or subsidence;
- Highlights any areas that do not meet building regulations;
- Will only look at parts of the property that are readily available - not behind walls, loft space or under floorboards.
3) Buildings survey - Useful for older properties, rare or unusual properties, properties in a poor condition, properties in which you are planning significant work or for any major concerns you have with a property:
- Costs between £500 and £1,000;
- Provides a breakdown of the structure of a property and the condition;
- Gives detailed information on how the property has been constructed, in terms of the materials used, the condition of the foundations, roof and walls;
- Outlines advice of the maintenance as well as necessary repairs are needed;
- Give a more intrusive report that will look at the loft/attic space as well as under the floorboards.
Conveyancing and legal services.
The term ‘conveyancing’ refers to all the legal and administrative work associated with transferring the ownership of land or buildings from one owner to another. Once you have instructed your legal team, it is important to stay in touch and promptly respond to any requests in order not to delay the whole process. A summary of what your conveyancer will be expected to do is listed below.
- Obtain a purchase contract from the sellers’ solicitors, this will include details of the property and its current ownership.
- Deal with all pre-contract enquiries, obtain copies of any existing guarantees, planning consents, or other relevant documentation.
- Obtain the sellers’ fixtures and fittings list. This will confirm which items they will be leaving in the property.
- Once your mortgage offer has arrived, your conveyancer will arrange for you to sign the contract. At this point you will need to hand over your deposit which they will hold in readiness for exchange of contracts.
- Make the necessary arrangements for contracts to be exchanged and the transfer deed effected.
- Obtain the mortgage advance from your lender and send you a completion statement;
- On the day of completion your conveyancer pays the required amount to the sellers’ solicitors, at which time the sellers’ solicitor provides your conveyancer with the title deeds.
- Registers your name and mortgage at the Land Registry and send the deeds to your lender for them to hold as security for their mortgage advance.
Exchanging and completing.
At any stage prior to exchanging contracts, either party can pull out of the sale without incurring any penalties. At the point at which the identical contracts between buyers and sellers are signed and formally exchanged by the solicitors, is the sale legally binding. Either side can still pull out after contracts have exchanged, however, there will usually be large penalties to do so. Everything needs to be in place at the exchanging of contracts, therefore the following should be finalised.
- The offer, including fixtures and fittings, has been agreed.
- All mortgage valuations and chosen surveys have been completed.
- A formal offer in writing has been received.
- All funds for the mortgage deposit are confirmed.
- All relevant searches have been completed by your solicitors.
- Buildings insurance has been purchased as you are now liable for the property.
- Funding for the contract deposit is now sorted;
- The date of completion has been agreed between the buyer and seller, this will need to be confirmed in writing and written into the contract.
Ensure that you read the contract carefully and fully understand it before you sign it. If you are unsure about anything please ask for clarification. It is important that you understand exactly what you are signing. There are then just a few last steps to take.
- Visit the property shortly before you complete, that way you can make sure that all is in place.
- Ensure that a copy of the title deeds go to your mortgage lender.
- If your property is a leasehold, you will need to inform the freeholder that you will be completing on the property. Your conveyancer will be able to provide you with the details, or may complete this as part of their service.
- Notify the utility companies that you are now the owner of the property.
- Inform your banks, credit cards, employer, mobile phone company and the DVLA of your new address.
- Arrange for either collection or redirection of the post from your old address.
- Arrange a time with us to pick up your new keys.
Congratulations on the purchase of your new property. If you are unclear at any stage of the process please ask one of my team. They have a wide range of expert knowledge. In the un likely event that they are unsure of an answer themselves, they will tell you and should be able to point you in the right direction to get the information you need.