Important points to remember when you view a property..

It is a fact of life that there are very few home buyers who buy the home of their dreams and do not have to change any part of it. There is always something we would have done differently, these may be small and easily corrected changes, for instance, the wallpaper, the colour scheme or the carpets.

Sometimes the changes we want to make involve larger work, such as the windows need replacing, the kitchen needs refurbishment, we need a new bathroom or bedroom or perhaps the garden needs a makeover. The changes may even involve building or renovation work.

All too often when you view a property you see the house in its current state and this can put you off. What is important, is to remember that you must try to envisage how it can be and not how it is. Think of the brilliant transformations which take place in programmes like "Changing Rooms" and the tremendous effect it has on the overall layout of the house.

The best way to view a property is to make a list all the positive points of the property, all the things you do like, then list all the things you don't like. Then in your own time, sit down and work out how much it would cost you to alter the property to your own tastes and requirements.

If the cost is inhibitive, but you really like the property, it may be worth while talking to Thompson & Partners to see if the selling price could be negotiated to accommodate your needs and desires, after all you have nothing to lose. At the end of the day the choice is yours, however in our many years, we have seen so many property transformations which have taken a sad and dilapidated property and turned it into a home anyone would be proud of. Think ahead, and view to the future, not the present.