Many estate agents in the area deal with property for both purchase and rental. Reading is well served by local independent estate agents as well as the large 'chain' estate agents. 

Estate agents hold particulars of all the properties they are handling and will arrange appointments to view and will show prospective purchasers around suitable properties. There is no charge to the purchaser. If you purchase a property through an estate agent it is normal to engage a solicitor to carry out the conveyancing.

Local newspapers are an invaluable source of details of properties for sale in the Reading area. These is the Property Chronicle issued on a Friday (as a supplement with the weekly Reading Chronicle) and the daily Reading Evening Post which has the Property Post supplement on a Tuesday.

If you decide to purchase a new property you can contact the developer or builder direct of the properties available or under construction. Most developers have sales offices on site and some will have show houses which are available to view at set times through the week.

How to buy a property

It is normal to engage a solicitor to handle your conveyancing. He or She will approve the draft contract which states price, terms and conditions relating to the transaction, undertake the Local Authority search, and check details of freehold or leasehold title. He or She will ensure a satisfactory mortgage offer has been issued, obtain client's signature to the contract, ensure client's purchaser is ready to exchange if there is a chain and agree a completion date.

After obtaining a valuation, either for your own purpose or for the mortgage lender, and when all parties in a chain are ready to sell and buy, exchange of contracts takes place. A deposit is required at exchange of contracts, which will normally be 5-10% of the purchase price of the property and is held by your own solicitor. If there is any problem with your purchase of the property after this date, for example if your building society fails to provide you with your expected mortgage, the other parties in the chain of purchases could claim against your deposit for their costs. After this stage it would be difficult to withdraw without incurring financial penalties. Completion is when keys and money are handed over. As from the date of completion you become liable for the insurance on the property and you should ensure that adequate cover is arranged.

When buying a new house the purchaser's solicitor would request a standard form of contract from the developer and then the procedure would continue as above. It is worth noting that some developers, in an effort to make things easy for the purchaser, offer a fully self-contained system, with the company providing advice on a range of matters including financial and legal. It is recommended however, that you retain your own solicitor to avoid any conflict of interest.

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