Honest question: how much research did you actually do before offering?
Thinking back to when I was buying my first home, my “research” looked something like this:
Check all info in the Rightmove listing -> viewing -> look back through the photos/videos
Check Rightmove/Zoopla estimates
Glance at a few nearby sold prices, floor area, beds, extensions, etc.
Walk down the road looking for anything obvious dodgy
Read whatever Reddit/Mumsnet said about the area
Mostly trust whatever the estate agent told me
That was basically it. Then I committed to a mortgage I’ll be paying pretty much my whole life.
When I write it out like that it sounds mad. Some people do more research before buying a headset.
So I’m curious. Is it just me? What did you actually do as a FTB? Did you use any tools, data platforms, spreadsheets, AI, anything? Or was it pretty much vibes and the estate agent’s word?
Not talking about the post-offer stuff (surveys, conveyancing), I mean the honest research YOU did before deciding what to offer and whether to commit.
Asking because: Yesterday I responded to a question on this sub from an FTB who’d already offered £190k and was wondering if they’d overpaid. More mature me did a quick 5-minute check of nearby sold prices, showed them they’d gone £20–30k over and they agreed (of course there were points raised by other Redditors too).
(Originally posted in r/HousingUK. Posting here as this sub is FTB focused and does not allow crossposts)