An American's Beginner Guide to Buying a Home in the UK

Buying a new home is always an exciting time, as you research properties for sale, local amenities, schools and other desirable qualities. If you are an American planning on buying a home in the UK, you will need to be very thorough in your search and ask a lot of questions.

British Homes Are Generally Smaller Than American Homes

One of the biggest shocks that Americans face when they move into a British home is how much smaller British homes generally are from American homes. If you have lived in a 2,200 sq ft home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms and are planning on moving into a home that is 800 sq ft with a single bathroom, it can be difficult to make the adjustment and even harder to fit all your belongings into a smaller home.

Ask questions and plan a viewing of each and every property that you are interested in. Then take along a tape measure so that you can be sure of exact measurements of rooms, ceilings, hallways, stairways and other parts of the home. This will give you a better idea of what you can keep and what needs to be sold before moving into a British home.

Consult Estate Agents

Estate agents (known as realtors or real estate agents in the US) can help you to find just the right property you are looking for. Start your online search for properties in the town, village or city that is of interest to you and then email estate agents when you come across a property that meets your needs.

Remember that a lot of homes you look at online will not specify the total square footage of the property in question, but you will be provided with the dimensions of rooms, as well as what each room comes equipped with (radiator, washing machine hookup etc). Then arrange a personal viewing of homes that are within your price range, so that you can find out more about them.

Financing a Home

Unless you plan to pay cash for a home that you buy in the UK, you will need to look into financing options that are available to you. This can be difficult for Americans who do not have an established British credit history, as some lenders are reluctant to work with customers who do not have a lending history in the UK.

Speak to lenders to find out about your financing options, including how much you will be expected to put down as a deposit, additional home buying fees such as survey fees, legal fees and so on. Ideally, you should have a regular job in place and evidence of your monthly earnings before lenders will speak to you about financing options.

The home buying process in the UK is a little different to buying homes in the United States. Be prepared to look at smaller homes than you are used to, by taking along a tape measure, consult estate agents for details of recent listings to arrange a viewing and look into financing options to see what you qualify for.