In this week's episode, Megan is joined by Paul Demarco from ESPC Mortgages to discuss the insurance that first-time buyers should consider.

They cover everything from how to best prepare to make an offer to what happens once an offer is accepted.

Skip to the part most relevant to you:
0:00-0:35 Intro
0:35-2:40 Building & Contents insurance
2:40-3:45 Do you need life insurance when you buy a property?
3:45-4:53 How does life insurance work?
4:53-7:36 What is critical illness insurance?
7:36-10:03 What is income protection?
10:03-11:13 Why should you get this additional insurance?
11:13-12:32 Do you have to review insurance annually?
12:32-13:15 Paul's advice for first-time buyers

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode, Megan is joined by Hannah Gaddie, a solicitor at Gillespie Macandrew, and they discuss how to make an offer on a property in Scotland.

They cover everything from how to best prepare to make an offer to what happens once an offer is accepted.

Skip to the part most relevant to you:
0:00-0:45 Intro
0:45-2:09 How to prepare to make an offer?
2:09-2:56 What's the first step to making an offer on a property in Scotland?
2:56-4:45 What is a Note of Interest in Scotland?
4:45-5:54 Documentation required to make an offer
5:54-7:34 How do solicitors make an offer on your behalf?
7:34-8:30 What is a closing date in Scotland?
8:30-9:38 Can you add clauses to your offer to include furniture, interiors?
9:38-10:50 What happens if your offer is rejected?
10:50-11:54 What happens if your offer is accepted?
11:54-12:31 Final pieces of advice

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode of ESPC's First-timers Club, Megan is joined by Tzana Webster from Ralph Sayer, an ESPC solicitor estate agent member firm, to chat through what first-time buyers can expect from a property viewing including how to prepare, red flags to look out for and what NOT to ask.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-0:40 Intro
0:40-1:04 Meet Tzana
1:04-3:40 What to do BEFORE you view any properties
3:40-5:41 What should you look out for at a property viewing?
5:41-8:02 What are red flags at a property viewing?
8:02-11:43 What NOT to ask at a property viewing
11:43-13:12 Do sellers pick a buyer based on their personality?
13:12-16:46 Advice for second viewings
16:46-21:21 What to expect as a first-time buyer

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode of ESPC's First-timers Club, we're sharing a real life first-time buyer story. Sam has recently purchased his first home with his fiancée in Rosyth, and he joins Megan to chat through his experience of buying in a busy Fife market, his advice to other first-time buyers and how to move on after a rejected offer.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-0:34 Intro
0:34-1:24 Meet Sam
1:24-2:18 When to decide to buy?
2:18-3:10 How many homes did you view?
3:10-4:14 How to decide where to buy?
4:14-5:30 Using a checklist to find your home
5:30-7:11 Researching a new area to live
7:11-10:31 Heart versus head when buying
10:31-12:00 Staying resilient
12:00-14:28 Dealing with rejected offers
14:28-16:21 Buying in a quick market
16:21-18:42 Sellers prefer first time buyers

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode of ESPC's First-timers Club we are talking about LBTT (Land & Buildings Transaction Tax) with Gavin Pearson, a solicitor at Mov8 Real Estate.

It's likely you may have heard of Stamp Duty - a tax payable on the purchase of a property, but do you know what LBTT is? LBTT is Scotland's version of Stamp Duty.

During this episode Gavin debunks what LBTT is, how it is paid and how to determine how much you LBTT you will pay on a home.

You can calculate this using our ESPC LBTT calculator.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-1:05 Intro
1:05-2:00 What is LBTT? (and how is it different to Stamp Duty?)
2:00-3:06 Calculating the amount of LBTT due
3:06-3:58 Tax relief for first-time buyers in Scotland
3:58-5:50 How does LBTT apply to new builds or shared ownership properties?
5:50-7:07 When is LBTT due and who makes the payment?
7:07-8:44 What should first-time buyers consider when budgeting for LBTT?
8:44-10:48 LBTT for different price points

Find your first home on https://espc.com

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode of ESPC's First-timers Club we are talking about Home Reports. Megan is joined by Kirsten Nicolson, a Director at DM Hall.

In Scotland, it is a legal requirement for sellers to have a Home Report for their property. This allows prospective buyers the chance to find out more about the structural condition of the home and alerts them to any issues that they face if they were to purchase the property.

During this episode Kirsten explains what a Home Report includes, how to read it and what first-time buyers should look out for.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-0:44 Intro
0:44-3:34 What is a Home Report in Scotland?
3:34-4:40 What should you look out for in a survey?
4:40-5:33 What is a non-traditional property?
5:33-6:00 Other things to take note of
6:00-8:43 What do category 1,2 & 3 repairs mean?
8:43-9:45 What does an EPC rating tell a buyer about a property?
9:45-11:19 Does a Home Report negate the need for additional surveys?
11:19-12:01 Who pays for a Home Report?
12:01-13:08 Advice for first-time buyers reading Home Reports

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

In this week's episode of ESPC's First-timers Club we are talking about appointing a solicitor. Megan is joined by Keri VanderburgSole, a Partner at Blair Cadell.

In Scotland, it is a legal requirement to use a solicitor when buying a property. A solicitor will make offers on your behalf and can provide advice and support throughout the process.

During this episode Keri explains why first-time buyers need to appoint a solicitor as well as how they can do it and her best advice for first-time buyers.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-0:37 Intro
0:37-2:24 Why do you need a solicitor in Scotland?
2:24-3:10 When should you appoint a solicitor?
3:10-4:14 How to contact a solicitor?
4:14-5:07 How much does a solicitor cost?
5:07-5:44 What documents do you need?
5:44-6:30 When do you pay a solicitor?
6:30-8:04 How to choose the right solicitor?
8:05-9:22 How long does it take for first-time buyers to get an offer accepted?
9:22-10:20 How solicitors can help you make the right offer
10:20-11:26 What is a Note of Interest?

Find a local solicitor estate agent here: https://espc.com/find-an-agent

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.

Welcome back to the ESPC first-timers club!

In this episode we discuss the process of applying for a mortgage including how to work out your budget, how to find out about your credit score and the best ways to save money for a deposit.

CHAPTERS:
0:00-0:30 Intro
0:30-2:10 Working out how much money you can borrow
2:10-3:14 Calculating affordability
3:14-5:07 How do children and pregnancy affect your mortgage eligibility?
5:07-6:21 How to find out what your credit score is
6:21-7:57 How much money do you need to buy a home?
7:57-9:16 Additional costs to mortgages
9:16-11:07 Money saving advice
11:07-11:34 When is the best time to speak to a mortgage advisor

The initial consultation with an ESPC Mortgages adviser is free and without obligation. Thereafter, ESPC Mortgages charges for mortgage advice are usually £395 (£345 for first-time buyers). YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR OTHER LOANS SECURED AGAINST IT.
The information contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and therefore restricted to consumers based in the UK.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is available to sort out individual complaints that clients and financial services businesses aren’t able to resolve themselves. To contact the Financial Ombudsman Service, please visit www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
ESPC (UK) Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Lyncombe Consultants Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Enjoy the episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to us directly on marketing@espc.com or via our social media channels. You can also help other people find us by sharing the episode or leaving us a review and rating from wherever you're listening!

To find out more about ESPC and our solicitor estate agent member firms, you can head to our website.

Read the latest news from the property market in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders here: http://bit.ly/3IPOR1T

ESPC is more than just a market leading property website. We are the home of property and are here to help you at every stage of your property journey.