You may want to research a number of things before buying a home:
Art and leisure – find out about events and facilities in the area.
Books – there are many useful books such as the Which? Essential Guide Buy, Sell and Move House: Navigate the Property Market without Getting Lost.
Childcare – search for a local Sure Start Children's Centre.
Conveyancers – As part of your home purchase you will require a solicitor or conveyancer to represent you, HSBC will also require a solicitor or conveyancer to act on its behalf. You have three options to choose from. Please see your conveyancing options for information available to you.
Council tax – understand the different property bands and charges.
Crime rates – find out about local crime rates by entering a postcode online.
Doctors and dentists – find NHS services.
Environment – for interactive maps showing information on water, pollution and landfills.
Estate agents – for a directory of accredited estate agents, tips for buyers, and to download property-buying guides.
Flooding – use the Land Registry's Flood Risk Indicator tool.
House prices – for average house prices in England and Wales, use the Land Registry's independent House Price Index.
Mortgage information – the Council of Mortgage Lenders is the trade association for the mortgage-lending industry. Its website also provides consumer information. The Government Website has detailed step-by-step information and advice on applying for a mortgage.
Neighbourhood summaries – type in a postcode to get information on crime, living environments and people from the Office for Statistics.
Parks and recreation areas – find out where the local green spaces are.
Planning – your solicitor or conveyancer will take care of planning issues for you but you can also look into whether there are future building developments planned in an area.
Property finder websites – search for properties by area with websites such as Fish4homes, Primelocation, Rightmove and Zoopla.
Removal companies – you can compare quotes from removal companies by using online
comparison sites.
Roads – find out about road networks and future developments across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Schools and education – research primary and secondary schools in an area and access Ofsted reports. Various national newspapers have school guides online for a small subscription.
Solicitors – the Law Society's website has a searchable database of solicitors in England and Wales, and the Law Society of Scotland has a list of accredited solicitors in Scotland. You could also ask family and friends for recommendations.
Sports facilities – visit your local council's website to find leisure centres and sports activities in
the area.
Stamp Duty Land Tax – get the basics and find out about payment thresholds and rates.
Street view – you can view street-level images of neighbourhoods you're considering by using Google Street View.
Surveyors – search for a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors qualified surveyor.
The Green Deal - find out about this government scheme that could help you make energy-saving improvements, like adding insulation, to your property.
Tradespeople – search for trusted heating engineers, electricians and builders at TrustATrader.
Transport – the Government website provides information and advice on travelling by taxi, bus, train, plane or boat within the UK.
Valuations – get house price information and estimates from Zoopla.
Youth services – go to your local council's website to find out what's available for young people in
the area.
Links to external websites are not reflective of HSBC's ability to offer a mortgage, nor does HSBC accept any liability for the accuracy of the information provided by these websites.
