Register once, and I’ll call you before the right home goes live.
Serious buyers get a head start. Tell me what you’re looking for and you’ll hear from me first — often before it hits the portals.
From first call to keys
Tell me what you’re after and your budget — two minutes, no obligation, and you’re on my list.
I call you before the right homes hit the portals, so you’re first through the door.
Accompanied viewings that fit around you — evenings and weekends included.
I help you pitch the right offer and put your case to the seller personally.
Trusted broker and solicitor introductions if you need them — no pressure, no games.
I chase the chain, solicitors and lenders so your purchase keeps moving to exchange.
Completion day — the keys are yours, and I’m still on the end of the phone.
Register as a buyer
Hot buyers get called before listings go live. Two minutes now saves you weeks of refreshing Rightmove.
No pressure, no jargon. I’ll only call about homes that actually fit.
Hear about the right homes before they go live.
The real picture of a street or neighbourhood.
Only calls about homes that actually fit.
Michael answers the phone — not a call centre.
My village guides
The honest local picture, village by village — live homes, real sold prices and my take on each patch.
Buyer questions
It puts you on my buyer list with your budget and wish-list. When a home fits, you're one of the first calls I make — often before it's live on the portals.
First-time buyer questions
Nobody teaches you how to buy a house. Here’s the honest version — and if your question isn’t here, just call me.
General guidance, not financial or legal advice — figures like stamp duty thresholds can change. Your broker and solicitor will confirm the position for your purchase.
The buyer’s jargon buster
Every trade hides behind its language. Here’s everything an agent, broker or solicitor might say to you, in plain English.
A lender’s early "yes, roughly this much" after soft checks. Also called a decision in principle. Not binding, but it makes your offer credible.
The line of linked sales — you’re buying from someone who’s buying from someone else. The longer the chain, the more can wobble. "No chain" means the seller doesn’t need to buy to move out.
Moving day, legally speaking: the money transfers, ownership changes, and you collect the keys.
All the legal work of transferring a property — contracts, searches, enquiries and the money. Done by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
Two different things: your mortgage deposit is your equity stake (e.g. 10%); the exchange deposit (usually 10% of the price) is what you legally commit at exchange — normally the same money.
Third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf — searches, Land Registry fees, bank transfer fees — itemised on top of their own fee.
Energy Performance Certificate — the A–G energy rating every home for sale must have. Tells you roughly what the home costs to run and what would improve it.
The point of no return: both sides sign and swap contracts, your deposit is committed, and the sale is legally binding. Pulling out after this gets expensive.
The form where the seller lists exactly what stays (fixtures) and what goes (fittings) — from light switches to the garden shed. Read it before exchange, not after.
You own the building and the land it stands on, outright and indefinitely. Most houses are freehold.
When a seller accepts your offer, then takes a higher one before exchange. Legal in England — see the FAQ above for how to protect yourself.
The reverse: a buyer lowering their offer just before exchange, when the seller is most committed. I don’t work with buyers who play this game.
Pricing labels: a guide price signals the expected region; OIRO means "offers in the region of"; "offers over" sets a floor. All are invitations to negotiate, not fixed tickets.
The government record of who owns what. Your solicitor registers you as the new owner after completion.
You own the property for a fixed term but not the land — common with flats. Check the lease length, ground rent and service charges carefully; your solicitor will.
Your mortgage as a percentage of the property price. £180k mortgage on a £200k home = 90% LTV. Lower LTV usually means better rates.
The document I issue when an offer is agreed — names, solicitors, price and terms — which kicks the legal work off. It isn’t binding; exchange is.
The lender’s formal, binding commitment to lend on the specific property, issued after full application and valuation. Solicitors won’t exchange without it.
A sale following the owner’s death, handled by their estate. Can take longer while probate is granted — but often chain-free.
Checks your solicitor runs with the council, water authority and environment agencies — planning issues, drainage, flooding, mining. Slowest part of many purchases.
Buying a share of a home (e.g. 50%) and paying rent on the rest, with the option to "staircase" to full ownership later. A route in when a full purchase is out of reach.
The defect check on a new-build home — a snagging list is sent to the developer to fix, ideally before completion.
The government tax on buying property. First-time buyers currently pay nothing up to £425,000, then 5% on the portion to £625,000. Every listing on this site has a calculator that does the maths for you.
Your independent condition check: Level 1 is basic, Level 2 (HomeBuyer) suits most homes, Level 3 (Building Survey) digs deepest for older or altered properties.
An offer has been accepted but contracts haven’t exchanged — "sold subject to contract". The sale isn’t certain yet, which is why you’ll still see these homes listed.
Estate-agent speak for the seller. I mostly just say "the seller".