Don’t work to an arbitrary deadline

Believe it or not but there are only five weeks until Christmas which may send a few of you into a panic. Many prospective property hunters set themselves a buying timeline and a lot of them choose the end of a calendar year as their end point. For people who have looked but not found for the better part of 2010 the pressure to purchase may be starting to build as 2011 looms - even more so if you have sold your current home!

If you’re in this boat then don’t make a fed up purchase in the next few weeks just so that you can tick buying a property off your 2010 list. If you have sold and are facing the prospect of becoming homeless if you don't buy then I suggest that you would be better off renting rather than making a fed up purchase. It may cost you a few extra thousand to move twice but it’s a lot cheaper than selling and buying again in a year or two as many people end up doing due to a fed up purchase.

It is important to note however that it is currently a great time of year to buy if you do find the ideal property that you’ve been looking for that meets your needs. Just as many buyers are hoping to secure a deal by year’s end, there are also lots of sellers who also want their property sold by this arbitrary deadline and may be prepared to negotiated a little more than they would have a month or two ago.