Dream Believers

Tag: Checklist

First time buyer – initial preparation

If you’ve come to this post then I’m assuming you’ve decided you want to own your own home and are looking for help as a first time buyer. No matter what age you are when you make this decision, my first piece of advice is START SAVING!!! Home ownership is a very expensive venture, the sooner you start saving up the better your options will be.
This will be a blog post series guiding you through the various steps, this post being group 1.
First time buyer ‘help’
There are lots of schemes and programmes out there that supposedly help first time buyers. Make sure you’re reading all of the small print, exclusions and exceptions before going ahead as many turn out to be more hassle than they’re worth.
Savings
Saving money is something I know a lot of people struggle with. The best thing to do is to save something each month from the moment you get your first pay check. There’s always something that you’ll want to save money for, even if it’s not initially to buy a house. Holidays, the latest tech, a new phone, a car, it all costs. Being good at saving money will always be a useful skill. If you’ve been saving for a while it also means you have a nice starting block in your savings if you then decide you would like to buy a home for yourself.
Credit score
Something a lot of people forget about is how much their credit score can affect things. Credit scores will affect the mortgage deals you’ll be offered. It’s a good idea to check what your credit score is and make it as healthy as possible. I usually use the free version of Experian to keep an eye on mine.
Location
Think of where you would like to live. UK? Europe? USA? Canada? Australia? New Zealand?
Research into the house prices in that country/area and any other stipulations linked with it. For example, in London the majority of homes are either shared ownership or leasehold which involves a lot of additional fees added on top of the usual price. Again, the best advice is to keep an eye on all of the small print.
What do you want?
No, I’m not quoting that scene from The Notebook (although it’s now in my head).
Think of what you want/need in your home. What could you not live without? Do you have any deal breakers? What would be the dream? Make a list, or if you’re artistic enough why not sketch it out. Visualise what you want and need and then go searching. It will help you to keep focus and not get lost in the sea of options.
Use your network
Do you know someone who has recently bought in that area? Ask them about their home buying journey. They may have found a great broker, or estate agent that they recommend which can save you a lot of time, effort and money. Use your connections. The more help, advice and information you can gather from your network, the better.
Your first time buyer tips
What else would you say to a first time buyer? Any tips you have that I’ve not discovered yet? What was your home buying journey like, how long did the whole process take?
Hopefully this helps you to get a few steps closer to your dream life, keep believing.

2 July 2021
My London to do list 2021/22
I have recently moved to West London (May 2021) to live with my partner Jez. As with almost every aspect of my life, I have a London to-do list. Things I would like to do in London within the next 12-18 months. A few years back I lived in North London briefly so I have experienced London living before, just in a different area and not as part of a relationship in the city. The first time living in London I didn’t actually do many (if any) of the tourist-y things. I am determined to change that this time around.
This post is going to initially look like a bare to-do list, but as I tick off the activities I will post info about each one. Maybe even doing a separate post about some of them too if it would take up too much space in this post.
London to do list – Foodie sites
Cat Cafes – Java Whiskers, Whiskers & Cream, Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium
St Aymes Cafe
Gordan Ramsey’s restaurant/s
The Cauldron
Coppa Club
Markets – ‘cheesewick’, chiswick flower market, duckpond markets
London site seeing
London Eye
Tower of London
HMS Belfast
Kew Garden
The Shard
Thames river cruise
Sky Garden
Visit China Town, Kyoto Gardens and Little Venice
London to do list – Entertainment
Cursed Child and as many west end shows as I can afford!
Warner Bros Studio tour
London Dungeons
Shakespeare at the Globe
London Transport Museum
War of the Worlds immersive experience
Aquarium
Film inspired ‘attractions’
Harry Potter Walking tour
Leadenhall Market – Harry Potter (Diagon Alley film location)
Notting Hill Carnival
Rodeo Drive – Pretty Woman
Portebello Road – Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Baker Street – Sherlock
The longer I live in London, the more hidden gems I will discover and be able to pass on to you lovely dream believers. Do any of you also live in (or are familiar with) London? What hidden gems would you recommend?
I hope you are all having a fabulous day and are getting closer to living your dream life.
Keep believing.
25 June 2021
My Moving Checklist
Moving somewhere new is exciting but is also usually stressful. Especially if you are unprepared or have not moved much before. As someone who has had 16 addresses in the last decade, I have a few tips to share. Here is my moving checklist;
What you’ll need
- Boxes, lots and lots of boxes
- Bubble wrap
- Sharpie pens
- Parcel tape/duct tape (something strong to make sure the boxes don’t come apart in transit)
- Labels – to put on your cables and chargers
- ‘Quick access box’ – things you’ll need as soon as you get to the new place. I always try to keep cleaning equipment, toilet roll, soap and a hand towel accessible on moving day. I also add teabags, coffee, sugar, milk and the kettle into this box. Might be an idea to also keep out your wash bag and a towel handy too. Feeling clean always helps me to relax after a long day.
As soon as possible
- Set the date/s of the move
- Make your own moving checklist including specific jobs you need to do
- Work out how long it will take to transfer your belongings from one place to another and allow yourself plenty of time. If it’s something you will stress over make sure you clear your schedule. Take time off work, maybe even take an extra day so you can unpack without so many time restraints too.
- Get help. Hire a removal team or a van and drive it yourself. Ask friends/family if they can help. I have often had several helpers when the offer of payment in food is introduced.
- Research service providers
- Start setting up energy bills, internet and other utilities before you move. Cancel current bills or change address if staying with your current providers.
- Organise internet and phone line in your new home, set up may take longer than you think
Got pets or young children?
It may be wise to hire a babysitter or ask friends/family if they could look after your animals and children for the day so that you don’t have to mindful of them getting under your feet or injured by moving boxes and things. Moving day is often chaos, you don’t want guilt mingled in with that too because someone has been hurt. Get someone to take them to a park for a few hours, let them play and get rid of some of their energy while you’re doing all the hard work then hopefully you’ll all get a great first night sleep in your new home (fingers crossed).
Got too much stuff?
Either moving somewhere smaller or moving into student accommodation? Research and organise a storage facility for the things you won’t need regular access to. There are all sorts of storage options and types of store rooms so make sure you find the best storage for you and within your budget.
If it’s items you no longer want or need you could also try selling the items online before your move, there are lots of online selling sites such as Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook marketplace, or you could give items away to charity shops or on freecyle and similar sites.
Moving checklist for packing
- The more organised the packing is, the easier the unpacking will be
- If possible pack per room. Colour coding can be helpful too, assign each room and/or person a different colour
- Label boxes as you go
- Label cables as you unplug them, group cables together if they’re for the same thing
- Bubble wrap fragile items and mark the boxes so they are given extra care
- Keep in mind the weight of items as you pack them, don’t overfill and end up not being able to carry them
Moving checklist – The Day
- Wear comfy, breathable clothes (and plenty of deodorant) it’s going to be a long day…
- Cleaning! Clean cupboards, sideboards, skirting boards, glass, toilets, showers/baths, tiles, ovens and hobs, floors, walls, everything – not necessarily in that order. In the house you move out of this is also a good way of checking no items have been missed. Luckily you can do most of the cleaning in the place you are moving out of before today but cleaning the new house will be a lot easier before all your belongings have been piled into it.
- Meter readings – take photos of them for both properties
- Take regular breaks and stay hydrated!!! Whether you are using a professional moving team, have the help of your nearest and dearest or going solo, snack breaks are always a good way to break up the day. It gives you a chance to step back and have a breather.
- Unload items into the new place, doesn’t have to be perfect at this point, just somewhere that’s not blocking your other daily tasks and people won’t trip over it
Final items of the moving checklist
Finish setting up your utility bills in your new home, update/cancel standing orders and direct debits, give meter readings and if renting check through inventory, making note of any damage before you started moving in your items.
RELAX!
After a whole day of transporting your things, cleaning everything and feeling exhausted (no matter how many breaks you’ve had), the last thing I would want to think about is having to cook, especially if I’m hosting people who have helped out as well so:
1. Order your favourite takeaway
2. Get comfy on the sofa (or floor if you haven’t got your seating yet)
3. Put on a film and crack open a bottle of your favourite tipple
4. Enjoy your afternoon/evening – you don’t have to unpack everything on the first day
Why not plan out possible ideas while stuffing your face? Think about decorations, painting etc I love getting creative and thinking of new ideas on how to make a place feel like home.
After the move
- After planning ideas, do it! Decorate, make this place yours; put up curtains, posters, canvases, pictures, shelving, fairy lights, put out beds, sofas, tables, chairs, ornaments, flowers, incense sticks and candles.
- Unpack, but you don’t have to rush it. One of my favourite bits of moving is finding places to put everything, reordering things and doing it differently to the last house.
- Food shop. I always try to eat most of the food I have in the old house before I move and then do a ‘proper’ food shop for the new house once I’ve arrived, you might have more or less fridge/freezer/cupboard space to play with and its also an excuse to eat all the treats that have snuck into my home.
- Thought of something you want in the house but don’t have? Go shopping! Ikea, Amazon, Home Bargains, Argos, Primark, Next, Debenhams… Retail therapy is always a good idea, and this time you actually have a reason!
- Start/continue your address changes, there are so many things that I have made a post all about it, hopefully it helps you to not miss anything.
- Let friends and family know your new address. It’s also a good excuse to send out change of address cards when you use them as invites to a house warming as well. When you feel a bit more settled a house warming is always a great way to start life in a new home 🙂
The most important thing though, is to enjoy your new home no matter how temporary. Make it a place of happiness and make lots of amazing new memories.
Are you moving house or recently moved? How did it go? Any tips/tricks you like to use that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments.
8 June 2021
Our first home checklist
I am the kind of person who looks at property for sale on Zoopla, Rightmove and other sites all the time. Have done for years, even before I decided I wanted to be a home owner. It was something to do that let me and the friends I was dream home hunting with imagine ourselves in different lives. A way of seeing ‘how the other half live’ as they say. To see how beautiful a house could be.
Jez mentioned he wanted to buy his own house by the end of this year. I have been looking a bit more seriously ever since. Nowadays sticking to a realistic budget rather than the multimillion pound, 7+ bedroom properties I used to search through.
What we are looking for
Ideally, the aim is to have:
- 2 bedrooms
- home office space
- balcony (with a view)
- shower and bath
- lots of storage (or space for me to fill with storage units)
- decent sized living area
- decent sized kitchen
- lots of plugs
I am hoping that there will be space for both me and Jez to have office space as we will hopefully both be working from home for at least some of our employed hours. Plus it’s always good to have somewhere guests can stay (or maybe a future nursery ;)).
It will most likely be a flat rather than a house initially. The fact we are looking to buy in London, the house prices are a lot higher. Water features have been discussed as an addition to the balcony chats so it is definitely something in my search criteria now. I’m thinking of making the balcony into a tranquillity area for us both so we have an escape if we need it. It would also be the perfect place for me to read so win-win.
Location
We are looking for a property in London and it needs to be nearer the centre for easier connections to work and hospitals for Jez. We are looking primarily at north/west London. There are certain bubbles of London that Jez has vetoed and some areas we would love to live in, but will be priced out of.
Although I lived in London for 9 months a few years ago, I don’t know the areas well enough to pick purely on location. The system we have in place at the moment is I find places that I think look nice, tick most of the boxes, have a logical floor plan and fit within our budget. Jez then looks at the area, reads the small print and checks his commute to work.
Our first home
The property we buy will be our first time buying. Our first home will need to be somewhere that doesn’t need too much work doing. Other than that, the location and the size of the flat we aren’t really that picky. We have a healthy deposit and most furniture/decor pieces that we will need to get started.
Small changes in the colour schemes of the home will be expected, just to make it our own. Any big repair works or alterations needed would be a possible deal breaker. I would like to be able to find somewhere we can move straight into without too much hassle.
Small print
We are buying in London and lots of properties come up as auction, cash buyer only, shared ownership and leasehold so reading the small print is becoming one of the most time consuming tasks.
Although we started talking about this last Autumn and haven’t got anywhere yet, we are still on track to be moved in this year. I was hoping we could start viewings in January and get everything sorted so we could move in before my 30^th birthday. Sadly though with Covid and the housing market being on a rollercoaster the last few months we’ve delayed plans.
Due to the stamp duty break we have found that the house prices have gone up dramatically. Instead of looking for our home in January – March as we planned, we are now waiting until June.
When will we get our first home?
We will find the home for us when we are meant to, and it will be amazing. These things take time, I know it will be worth it. I’m hoping Christmas 2021 we will be celebrating in our own home, but it may take longer to find our perfect first home. Either way, it’s exciting!
Are you looking to buy your first home? Are you already a homeowner? What has been your biggest hurdle so far?
30 May 2021