If renovation doesn't appeal, buy new. You can often choose kitchen units, colour schemes and even the layout of your home if you buy before the building is completed, and the prospect of a maintenance-free property is compelling. Not that you should take everything at face value. Double-check that everything you see in the show house or flat is what you will get. If you are buying off-plan and you don't want to live on a building site for years, ask about new phases of development.
Many people read holiday brochures more closely than a developer's small print.
Try negotiating a discount. Plenty of developers are offering inducements such as cash back, a furnishing package or payment of stamp duty or deposit. They may even take your old house in part-exchange. Buying Most of us take in about five per cent of what we see when we're viewing a house, and some even buy after a single visit. Shrewd buyers, however, view at least twice and always take notes.