House-Buying MoneySaving What you must know before buying

• Don�t feel forced into buying a house

  A quick note from Martin:

  "Must own, must own, must own," has become a mantra of our age. I remember meeting a 21-year-old couple while filming a Tonight with Trevor MacDonald who were upset they weren�t on the housing ladder yet.

  "Let�s make this plain. Owning a house is great, but no necessity. Contrary to popular perception, house prices could go down both in the short term and the long term. True, over the very long term it�s unlikely, but no one can predict the future.

  "If you�re buying a house to live in, the fact you won�t need to pay rent really does help the equation. Yet don�t starve to do it. Your overall finances are more important, make sure you can afford the house and definitely don�t overstretch yourself � if you think it may be a little much, take a step back and pause, don�t hurt yourself to get a house. Better to wait a little until you�re secure.

  "Remember renting isn�t a crime. In some circumstances it�s worse, but if house prices drop it�s better. No one really knows, so don�t panic."




• Do a budget

  First thing�s first. This is a numbers game so before you do anything else, have a good look at your finances. Use our Free Budget Planner to do a full budget and calculate what you can realistically afford to pay every month.

  Historically, lenders simply multiplied your income to work out how much to lend you. Typically, a single person could borrow 3.5 times their single salary while a couple would be offered 2.5 times their joint salary.

• Find the best mortgage for you

  Getting a mortgage is the single biggest MoneySaving activity possible: the financial equivalent of liposuction. For every 1% of interest you cut on a �100,000 outstanding mortgage deal, you save �80 a month.

  Few lenders offer actual mortgages if you've no property in place, instead you can get a �mortgage in principle� (MIP), which provisionally lets you know much you can borrow, subject to finding a suitable property within a specified time. This does mean a credit check, though one mark on your file isn't too big a deal (see the Credit Rating guide)

  In reality, even MIPs are never guaranteed, as the lender will want to do a valuation too, though it can speed the process up once you find the house of your dreams.

  To work out how much you can borrow and sever the cost of your mortgage, read either the Cheap Mortgages or Cheap Remortgages Guide.

  

  << Free printed or >>
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  Before taking on a new mortgage, remember interest rate changes can massively impact your budget; they can go both up and down. The Ultimate Mortgage Calculator tells you what your monthly repayment will be, compares the cost of your mortgage now against any future rate changes and much more.

• Mortgage arrangement fee.

  You should expect to pay your lender an arrangement fee. These have risen sharply over the past few years. They vary enormously but reckon on �500 � �1,500. In some cases this is non-refundable, even if the house purchase falls through. A couple of lenders also charge a separate reservation fee to secure a fixed-rate. This is always non-refundable and generally costs around �100 � �200.

• Valuation fee

  You should also expect to pay a valuation fee for a survey. This is to check a) the property exists and b) it offers the lender sufficient security for the loan. The cost depends on property value and your lender but assume around �250.

• Legal fees

  Then there are legal fees. Many lenders will contribute � although generally not in Scotland where the process is different � although in that case you would have to use a solicitor approved by your lender. If you have to pay for your conveyancing, you�re looking at around �500 � �750.

• Stamp duty

  You will also have to pay stamp duty land tax to the government, which won�t be included even if your lender will cover legal fees.
  
  The bizarre anomaly here is the stamp duty tax rate is set at an absolute rather than marginal level. In other words, rather than you paying 3% stamp duty on everything above �250,000 you pay 3% on the whole amount. Read Martin�s full The UK�s worst tax blog.
  
  The table below spells out the thresholds, but to work out how much you will pay, use the Stamp Duty 2010 Calculator.

  Stamp duty thresholds

  Purchase price	Stamp duty rate
  Up to �125,000	Zero
  Over �125,000 to �250,000	Zero (first-time buyers) 1% (everyone else)
  Over �250,000 to �500,000	3%
  Over �500,000	4%




• Surveys

  Yet don�t just factor in one survey, for the worst case scenario, budget for two or three. Sadly it�s common to spend �700 on surveys for homes you don�t eventually buy. If the survey flags up faults and the seller won�t budge on price, you lose �400-�700 a time. Look at it as part of the expense of buying, and if it works out first time � bonus.

• Removal costs

  Depending on the size of your gaff, remember you�ll need to hire a removal van. And don�t forget a local chippy for the first few nights!

• House repairs costs.

  From flaky paintwork to leaky sinks, put aside some cash for unexpected property maintenance. Assume that as soon as you move in you�ll need to get cracking and concreting.

  As MoneySaver Delphinum says: �If it�s an old house, expect Frank Spencer to have done every piece of DIY work. Expect to undo everything and do 10 other things you didn't expect to do before you start on a job.

• Furniture & extras.

  If you�re renting a furnished place at the moment, remember that that you will need to buy THE LOT! Budget for everything from beds and sofas to lawnmowers and carpets. Then there�s all the boring but essential extras, including light bulbs, lamp shades, toilet brush, washing up bowl, door mats, hooks and extension leads.

  If you do need to, do remember it�s possible to grab a lot of this stuff for free from giveaway sites like Freecycle (read a full guide to Freecycle/Giveaway Sites).

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Factor all these costs in, not just the mortgage. Too many people buy their dream house, then sit in it unfurnished and undecorated, in misery. Think of the whole cost before you buy.

• Investigate property price trends

  It�s worth getting a feel for the market before you start looking. Luckily, a raft of high-tech websites now give you access to the kind of detailed house price data that was once the preserve of agents and mortgage lenders.

  The Land Registry collects official data on real sales, recording virtually every residence sold. Its House Price Index gives average house prices by country and region, breaking them down into different property types.

  Stats geeks will enjoy Lloyds' housing research, which features its official house price index, a regional house price map and average prices by postcode. There�s a full list of tools in the Free House Price Valuations guide.
  
  

• Scour for suitable properties

  Gone are the days when peering into estate agents� windows was the only way to see how much folks were advertising a house for. There are a plethora of property search sites out there, though do remember asking prices are often wildly optimistic, showing what the seller wants for the property, not what they�ll get.
  
  

Rightmove

The daddy of these sites, Rightmove is one of the best places to compare homes on the market. As well as a dizzying number of properties up for grabs, it plots listings on a Google map for ease. For the best results, turbo charge it with the ingenious Property-Bee Firefox add-on below, to see how sellers have altered listings and dropped prices.

Globrix

Close behind is Globrix. This is an excellent option if you're looking for a particular type of home, as it allows you to narrow searches by period, eg, Georgian or Victorian, as well as detailed criteria such as wooden floors, balconies, garden size or even swish cribs with swimming pools.

It includes an interactive Google search map that plots where pads are for sale, so you can hone in on your favourite roads.

Home.co.uk

MoneySavers also rate Home.co.uk. The site can be clunky, but includes reams of data alongside the listings, including how the asking price compares with others in the town and postcode.

Another useful function is that you can click on homes' 'price histories', to see how the asking price has shifted. Other home search sites worth a look are Teamprop, PrimeLocation and Findaproperty.

PropertyBee
Finds properties that've dropped asking prices

One of the best property tools we�ve seen, Property-Bee is a free add-on for web browser Firefox. It works with property listing site Rightmove to show you how sellers alter their listings, including, crucially, price cuts.

You can see when the seller put the property up for sale; each time they cut the price and by how much; and if it was taken off the market and put back on. These are all useful bargaining chip in purchase negotiations, yet whether you�re buying or not, the results are fascinating.

Installing is incredibly simple: if you don�t already have FireFox, head to mozilla.org and follow the prompts to install (read Best Web Browsers guide). Then go Property-Bee and hit the �download� button on the left. Follow the prompts and restart Firefox. Go to Rightmove, do a search and the sellers� alterations will magically appear.

Repossessed property buying tools

It�s possible to pick up repossessed or distressed sale properties at up to 30% off the market price. For those willing to put the work in, both on research and repairs, these can represent some of the best buys on the market. For a full guide to how it works and how to find bargains, read the full Buying Repossessions guide.

• Befriend estate agents

  If you're house-hunting, do remember that some properties are sold before they appear on the property sites. The way to get a heads up about these is to get in with local estate agents, so they call you as soon as they get a place on their books. Turn up on time for appointments and be polite, while maintaining a healthy scepticism.

• Go leafleting.

  Another way to find the home of your dreams is to write out a nice letter explaining you�re keen to buy and posting it to homes on streets you like.

  Not only could you nab a fab place before it goes up for sale, but the seller may give you a discount as they save on estate agent fees.

• Get a feel for the neighbourhood.

  No matter how fabulous the pad, MoneySavers are unanimous that location counts. Remember, you can�t move a home�s location, but you can do it up. MoneySaver Ixwood puts it bluntly: �A rough house in a nice area is much more desirable than nice house in a rough area".

  As well as web tools, prowl the neighbourhood on foot. Walk around and check out the parks and pubs, at different times of day. Get the lowdown from locals. Hunt for clues as to the kind of area it is. Are the cars clean and well maintained? Do you like the local shops? If you�re a total newcomer, stay over in a local B&B; to get a real feel for it.

• Ask a local bobby

  MoneySaver DGX has a fantastic tip to get location recommendations: �With no clue about the new area, I took a map into the police station and asked the policeman to mark down on the map "where the bobbies live" and "where they get a lot of calls". 10 years later, I still live in the same house and love the area."

• View thrice

  View the place three times at different times of the day. Daylight makes spotting flaws easier, but the pounding music which will make your life hell might not begin until the neighbours get back from work.

  MoneySaver In The Red 2009 wishes they�d known this advice: �I viewed my flat just once before buying, and within an hour of actually moving in the music started thumping through from upstairs. This is still an ongoing problem. I viewed just once, during the day, and it was quiet so I assumed there was no problem."

• Consider resellability

  Do think about resale potential. This may be your dream des res and you don�t mind that there�s only one bathroom downstairs. Yet, if it�s been hanging around on the market for a while, it�s worth considering why it hasn�t sold. If you don�t want to live in it until you die, think about resaleability.

• Go fault spotting

  For second or third viewings, take an expert or realistic mate to give their honest opinion of the property and price.

  Small issues, such as a broken kitchen draw needn�t be a deal breaker. But it�s worth making a list of them, so you can ask the vendor to fix before you get the keys.

  MoneySaver rdownesy spotted about 20 minor defects, which were sorted before getting the keys. Obviously some checks, such as turning the radiators, are better left for a second or third viewing.

  • Check for damp. Touch walls to see if they�re damp. Look behind furniture and on outside walls for signs of grey mould. Use your nose as well!

  • Look up at ceilings. Look for brown stains, slow drips and problem leaks.

  • Open doors & windows. Open and close all the windows. Shut every door behind you as you�re being shown around to make sure they all work. Open cupboards and drawers with a smile and a "I do hope you don�t mind," (remember, you�re giving them �100,000s!).

  • Switch power on and off. Turn all lights off and on, especially those with older switches. Turn on the cooker. Check how many, and the location of, power points in each room, testing plug sockets too. Also check how old the wiring is, as rewiring the electrics can be mega pricey.

  • Inspect the plumbing Flush all toilets and check taps turn off. Check that the sink doesn�t leak and the cupboard underneath it is dry. Ensure the shower has good pressure and gets hot. If you're feeling brave, go outside, lift the drain covers, then get someone to flush the loo and check the drains flow.

  • Feel the heat. Ask the seller to switch on the boiler and turn on the central heating. Check the radiators for leaks and rust, and make sure they all get hot right across the surface.

  • Check door locks Ensure door locks are up to insurance standards. Most policies insist that front and back doors be fitted with a five - perhaps even a six or seven - lever mortice deadlock. Check that the front door has no signs that it�s been broken into.

  • Look at the wallpaper. Buying a house with woodchip wallpaper will mean excavating through the layers of paper and probably pulling half the plaster off.

  • Lift all mats & rugs. Check for stains and other nasties lurking underneath.

  • Go up in the loft. Inspecting the attic in daylight is a great way to gauge the state of the property�s wood work. Check timbers for rot, as well as looking for any cracks or holes in the tiles.

  • Look at outside walls. Check outside for wall cracks, mould and rotten woodwork. Take a screwdriver and try sticking it (gently!) in wooden window frames and sills.

  • Hit the roof. Take binoculars and check the roof for missing/slipped tiles. Eye gutters and woodwork for potential problems. If possible, go on a rainy day, to see whether the gutter leaks.

  • Surrounding buildings. If you�re buying a flat or terrace, watch out if neighbours� properties are rundown, as it could cause you problems. One MoneySaver bought a gorgeous Victorian flat but had leak after leak from the flat above.

  • Knock on neighbours� doors. Neighbours may offer tip offs about the area or house, but it�s also a chance for you to get the measure of them. Check how well maintained their house is, look for rubbish out the front and how the garden is maintained.

    Also have a chat with a neighbour nearby, but not next to, the property. They'll be honest about what the area is like and are less likely to be either pally with the neighbours or anxious to get rid of them.

  • Check the vendor. If the vendor strikes you as unreliable, think twice. A property is not good value if the vendor doesn't want to sell it; you could end up wasting �1,000s in fees.

We�re not saying be impolite, but � don�t trust �em as far as you can throw �em. Double check all claims yourself and get everything writing. Remember, this is probably the biggest purchase you�ll ever make.

Ask the following questions for starters:

How many viewings have you had?
How many offers have you had?
How long has it been on the market?
Can I see current electrical and gas installation checks/reports? (If possible verify their authenticity with the firm that carried them out)
Have there been any neighbour disputes?
What renovations have been done on the house?
How old is the boiler?

Check how long the lease is

• Freehold

  Freehold's where you own the property outright and usually applies to houses. Whereas with a leasehold you�ve a limited time on the lease, here the property belongs to whoever owns the lease, unless they decide to transfer it.

• Leasehold.

  Buy a leasehold property and you�re effectively renting your pad. The leasehold gives you the right to live there for a fixed period of time at a certain price, typically 99 to 125 years, though some leases run for 999.
  
  It�s cheaper and to easier extend a lease that has over 80 years left to run and some mortgage lenders will not lend on properties with leases shorter than 70 years. As you have to own a property for at least two years before you can apply to the landlord to extend the lease, you may need to make the offer on the condition that they extend the lease.

  If it�s a leasehold, always ask to see the lease paperwork and look out for clauses on sub-letting or owning a pet. Ask your surveyor to give you the lowdown on these, in case they spot something you don�t.

  One of the main pains of leaseholds is that you have to fork out service charges to the freeholder. These cover things like building repairs, communal area maintainance, fixing lifts and gardening.

  Be sure to check how much these are, and never take agents� word for the costs � get 'em in writing. It could be worth knocking on other flats in the same block to ask what they think of the freeholder and their charges.

• Look up the council tax

  Council tax bands in England and Scotland were decided in 1991, but often it was done by an estate agent just driving past. It�s possible to quickly check your band and if it�s wrong challenge and possibly get a rebate of �1000s. Read the full Council Tax Reclaiming article.

• What happens in the conveyancing stage?

  This is about searching all the official files to check that the purchase is legit and there are no hidden catches. They do all the legal paperwork, land registry and local council searches, draft the contract and handle the exchange of cash.

• Who can do the conveyancing?

  Any solicitor is qualified to do the conveyancing. There are also licensed conveyancers who are specialist property lawyers.

• Finding the right conveyancer

  There can be huge cost differences between different conveyancers, so ensure you test the market.

  DON'T automatically use the firm the estate agent mentions, because there's a chance this could be a commission-based recommendation. Yet certainly speak to them and use their price as a benchmark.

  DO ask pals for recommendations then ring around for quotes.

  DON'T think just because someone did your divorce, they can do this job too. Picking a firm that specialises in conveyancing or at least has a specialist department is often a good bet if you have tricky issues, such as a listed property, a conservation area, short lease or questions over land boundaries. Ask how many cases it handled last year.

  DO check if they are going on holiday. Ask whether the lawyer will be going on their holidays for any time in the next three months. If they will be backpacking Peru on your preferred completion date, best go with another option.

  DO check whether the fee is fixed or an estimate.

  DON'T go for rock bottom price if you're in a rush. Some MoneySavers say the cheapest companies work in bulk and can be slower, so if time's an issue that can be a problem. Pick a company that sounds professional and answers emails promptly.

  DO consider someone from further afield; they needn�t be nearby. It�s perfectly possible to use someone in Newcastle when you live in central london; and it can be much cheaper.

  DO check out the web. Some MoneySavers rate cheap 'n' cheerful internet-based conveyancers that do it all via the phone and net. (The following are recommendations from the chat forum and we have not checked them out ourselves, so please do your own research before using.)
  
  Some MoneySavers have had okay experiences with Conveyancing-Warehouse, 1stpropertylawyers, OnlineConveyancing and Easier2move. Nothing is guaranteed though, as these companies link you up with a 'real life' solicitors firm and it all depends on who you get. Feedback (as with all solicitors) varies.

  There are also comparison sites that let you compare several conveyancers� quotes in a flash. Just answer a few questions at Home.co.uk and it generates quotes from several local solicitors. Alternatively, fill in your details and Reallymoving.com and it emails you a link with quotes from firms in your area.

  Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) also has a Conveyancing Comparison service, allowing you to compare local prices with those further afield. You have to give some information about yourself, probably as YBS as it hopes you might take out a mortgage with it.

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• Ask the right questions

  Ask potential conveyancer for a full breakdown of their costs and service, asking if their quote �includes ALL charges". Some will price match other firms, so it�s worth haggling.

  Here are some quick questions as suggested by Consumer Direct:

  1. What will the legal adviser do for you? Do you fully understand what your legal adviser will - and, just as importantly, won't - do on your behalf?

  2. How much will this legal adviser cost you compared with others? Getting an estimate from a firm of legal advisers doesn't commit you to using them.

  3. What do you get for your money? Some legal advisers will quote you an �all-in' fee for the whole transaction. Others will charge an hourly rate. If an hourly rate is quoted, make sure you get an estimate of the number of hours they expect to work.

  4. How often has the legal adviser handled this type of work? Legal advisers will usually do a better job if they are familiar with and experienced in the particular work you want. It's sensible to ask whether they have experience of the work you want done.

  5. How long will it take for the transaction to be completed? It isn't always possible to estimate accurately how long it will take to complete a legal transaction, but do ask your legal adviser how long the transaction generally takes.

  6. What can you do if something goes wrong, or you aren't satisfied with the service? Is the legal adviser regulated by a professional body? (For example, solicitors are regulated by the Law Society and conveyancers the Council for Licensed Conveyancers). If they are, then they must have a clear complaints procedure in place.

  7. Have you got a good deal? Consider what's most important to you in a legal adviser. Is it cost, location, quality, reliability of service, experience and know-how, speed, or something else?

  For more see Consumer Direct�s full guidance on this.

• Stalk �em!

  To put it politely, some solicitors �work at their own pace�. Of course we don�t mean camping outside their home, but feel free to make regular phone calls, to get the thing processed quicker. Remember, you're paying them.

  MoneySaving solicitor ronnie-the-red says:
  
  "Chase your solicitor. They often won't have picked up the file as often as you think. If you chase, don't worry about bugging the solicitor. Trust me, we need to be bugged.
  
  Remember you are paying for their services and they are working for you. Don't worry about annoying them as most clients are fairly annoying!"

  
  

• Write to a senior partner

  If they don�t meet your expectations, write to them. Neilus1 says "Be firm but polite. Usually a word to the effect that you're going to invoke their complaints procedure delivers the kick in the pants they need, failing that a letter to one of the senior partners works wonders."

• Get your will done for free

  A top tip from money_maker: �Get your will done with your solicitor at the time, as some will do it for free since they are already being paid." and if that doesn't work, read the Free & Cheap Wills guide for more on how to get low or no cost solicitor drafted wills)

• Value the house

  When deciding how much to offer, a raft of high-tech websites now give you access to the kind of detailed house price data that was once the preserve of agents and mortgage lenders. It�s possible to see how much neighbouring houses sold for and even get a free online house price valuation.

  Yet when making an offer, put more store in surveys and Land Registry sold prices, as free online valuations can be way out. Read Free House Price Tools for a full guide.

• Ask on the chat forum

  If you�re wringing your hands over how much to offer, ask the experienced MoneySavers on this site�s House Buying, Selling & Renting board. They share their experiences and help you dig for clues.

  You�re likely to get more response if you post a link to the home�s advertisement on one of the big property search sites, such as Rightmove, though do remember this is a public forum and there�s a chance you could give away your tactics to the seller!

• Ask for them to �take it off the market"

  Make your offer on the condition that the seller �takes the home off the market". This means less chance of gazumping, where the seller accepts another higher offer after the sale has been agreed. Until contracts are exchanged, either party can pull out at any time.

• Get fixtures & fittings in writing

  To avoid getting the keys to a stripped-bare house, get a list of all fixtures and fittings that are included in the purchase, right down to light fittings, the TV aerial cable screws, the black bin and the fire grate. Yes, one MoneySaver found all these ripped out.

  When sellers write up lists of fixtures and fittings, they often base the price on what they paid. Yet this can have little relation to the stuff�s current value. For example, a �2,000 plasma TV might have been their pride and joy when they first nailed it to the wall four years ago, but would now cost �500-ish new.

  Use a �shopbot� to compare goods' prices and you can find the best price on the web in 30 seconds. These whizz to lots of retailers to find the cheapest price online; read Cheap Online Shopping for a full guide.

  Also check on eBay*, where it�s possible to see exactly how much similar second-hand items have sold for. To do this, fill in the search box and check �completed items" on the left hand bar (you need to be signed in). If the seller refuses to budge on price, it could be worth sending them a friendly email with a couple of links to identical completed items as evidence.

  If the carpets are in okay nick, ask the seller to include them in asking price. That way, you can grab new ones when you can afford them. Do get this in writing though. One MoneySaver says: �Some vendors try to negotiate payment for carpets, but who would go to the bother of removing them? Oh yes, I remember, the first house we bought, the vendor did that and left bare concrete."

• Save on stamp duty

  Remember that you only pay stamp duty on the house itself, not the fixtures and fittings, provided the amount you pay for them is a reasonable market value. This is especially handy if you�re a touch over a stamp duty level, ie, �252,000.

• Check appliance prices

  Sellers often chuck in appliances such as cookers and washing machines. If you're paying extra for these do ensure the price is right. Use the Cheap Online Shopping article to benchmark good deals. It�s also possible to grab much furniture for free from Freecycle/Giveaway Sites.

• Get the right survey for you.

  There are three main types of survey. The first is a homebuyer�s report. This normally costs �300-�400 and is suitable for conventional properties less than 50 years old.

  For older or quirkier residences, consider a full structural survey. These are super-detailed, covering everything and can cost up to �700, but often are well worth the expense. It could well give you ammunition to haggle down the price � one MoneySaver saved �2,500.

  Sadly, even those buying new builds still have to get out their wallets. Snagging surveys pinpoint defects and unfinished bits, so you can push the developer to correct them before completion.

• Quickly compare surveyors� quotes

  To get instant quotes from chartered surveyors in your area, fill in your details at Reallymoving.com. You have to give your email address.

• Accompany the suveyor

  It�s also worth accompanying the surveyor. They are likely to say far more verbally than they�d write in a report.

• Get a quote on potential work.

  If the survey finds any nasties, ask a reputable builder for repair costs. Then ask the vendor to either fix it before completion or knock the total off the price.

  Do get a second opinion, especially with damp. What might seem like minor refurbishments can be complex and expensive.

  Canny-cat�s story �
  
  "Our survey told us the house had a minor case of damp that would cost �400 to solve. It seemed so minor that we didn�t even bother to renegotiate with the seller.

  "Once we'd moved in, we discovered the full extent of the damp problem and paid over �4,000, plus associated redecoration costs, on tanking the entire ground floor. If you can believe it, the walls were too sodden for a damp proof course to take.

  "The sellers had the walls skimmed shortly before putting on sale, so that you couldn't notice the damp for a few months - at which point metal wall fixings and sockets started rusting, the plaster started to salt and bubble, and I ended up developing asthma."




• Grab an electrical inspection

  Get an electrical inspection done too. richiedc says, �We didn�t (it�s �100) and we had to rewire at the cost of 3k."

• Key questions to ask previous occupants

  Your life will be easier if you remember ask the previous owner key questions before they give you the keys. To help, we�ve compiled a list of top questions to ask:

• Compare moving costs

  If you�re moving from your folks with no furniture, a car and a couple of mates will suffice. Yet most people will need to enlist a removal company. To get several quotes instantly, head to Reallymoving.com and fill in an online form. Do also check that the company belongs to the British Association of Removers.

• Plan, plan, plan.

  rdownesy says: �If you have any ideas of what you want to do to the house or furniture you are intending to buy, then make sure you have planned it. Seems boring at the time, but it paid off - if we hadn't have planned some of our purchases well by taking floor plans with other furniture we'd bought marked out on it, we could have made some big mistakes!"

  The cost of the property involves the cost of the debt, council tax and home insurance. Yet it�s possible to slash these...

• Dirt-bust

  The house will be manky when you arrive, so if possible tackle the grime before moving day. mrs_montgomery says: �When you move in the place will be FILTHY. If you buy it new it will be full of chips of plaster and dust. If you buy it from someone else, the cupboards will be grubby and the walls covered in big dirty moving-men fingermarks and scrapes from where they've carried their furniture down the stairs.

• Furnish your house for free!

  Many MoneySavers have furnished their house for nada, using give-away websites, including Freecycle, Freegle and others. showing how to use them best, avoid spam, bag the best items and the most common freebies.
  
  It's really strength is big �n� bulky household furniture that would otherwise be flung in a skip, such as sofas, futons, beds, book shelves, computer desks, lamps, lighting, curtains and rugs. For a full guide to bagging the best items, read Freecycle / Giveaway sites.

• Check the gas is safe

  Make sure you get a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate, which shows that all gas appliances have had a service by a Corgi-registered installer. If in doubt, get one done yourself before you arrive.

  November says: �Just after we moved in I had to call Transco in the middle of the night. We thought we had flu. We had carbon monoxide poisoning and were alive due to a faulty cat flap venting out most of the gas. The system was condemned. It was a very lucky escape. Never occurred to me to check, yet a gas certificate is one thing you ask for when you are renting."

• Cut the cost of home insurance

  It�s easy to slice down your home insurance costs by �100s, simply by using websites that do the comparisons for you, then possibly grabbing hidden cashback. In fact by following the system many people have ended up being paid to take out home insurance as the cashback found is more than the insurance costs.

  Plus remember that buildings and contents insurance are two different insurance products, although many companies sell them combined. As a rough rule of thumb, imagine you could turn your house upside down; everything that falls is covered by contents, whatever stays firm by buildings. For the full system read the Cheap Home Insurance guide.

• Gas and Electricity

  Don�t stick with you�re the previous owners� energy supplier. You can currently save over �250 a year by switching to the cheapest online deals. What's more, comparison sites pay up to �30 cashback or give a crate of wine for switching.

  Even if you don�t have past bills most comparison sites will do an estimate.

  To find out how, read the Cheapest Gas & Elec plus cashback article

• Home Phone & Broadband

  Don�t just automatically sign up to BT. No one phone company is ever cheapest. However, it's easy to beat the system, and more than halve most phone bills. Read the full Cheapest Home Phones guide

• Consider a water meter

  If you�ve more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people, you�re probably better off with a water meter.

  Read the full guide: Water Meters

• Cut Digital TV costs

  Multi-channel TV is usually under-utilised and over-expensive. For a full step system on cutting the cost of your TV bundle read the Digital TV Cost Cutting guide.