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How to Buy a House
 
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How to Buy a House (Paperback)

by Phil Spencer (Author), Kirstie Allsopp (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Michael Joseph Ltd (9 Sep 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0718147340
  • ISBN-13: 978-0718147341
  • Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 18.2 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 51,152 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #8 in  Books > Reference > Consumer Guides > Housing & Property
    #32 in  Books > Home & Garden > Buying & Developing Property > Property Guides

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Product Description

Product Description
Buying a house is one of the most important decisions any of us make - and it's a minefield - and the system is on the side of the seller. But with Phil and Kirstie on your side to highlight the pitfalls, guide your decisions and help you carve through the bureaucracy, you'll get it right - and you may even enjoy it! Aspirational, classy, colourful and readable How to Buy a House will be essential reading for anyone thinking of moving - from first time buyers to those climbing higher on the property ladder. Packed with easy to digest, practical information How to Buy a House will set a new standard for books on property

About the Author
Property experts Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp are the presenters of Location, Location, Location, Channel 4's top rated show that helps people to buy their perfect property. Off screen they both work together for Garrington Homefinders where they help clients do the same thing.

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Advice for Property Novices, 28 Jul 2005
By Lulu (London) - See all my reviews
This isn't a book about making a killing in the property market - it's just a supremely practical and easy-to-read guide to buying your own home. Unlike other reviewers, I'm impressed with it precisely because it has appeared at a time when the property market seems to be falling: it helps the reader focus on exactly what she or he wants from a house which might have to be home for five years or more before the market picks up again. I wish I'd read it before I bought my first house - it would have saved me so much worry, expense and dissatisfaction. It's worth the money for the advice on dealing with estate agents and solicitors alone. Though it's true that the proportion of photographs to text is high, for me this helped keep my attention through the tedious but necessary technical bits (and even these are set out in a clear and comprehensible way). If you are an experienced property developer then obviously you won't need this book; but for those of us whose home is the biggest investment we will ever make, it's well worth reading.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An easily accessible guidebook, 15 Feb 2006
By A Customer
The book is a very light read and the spacious layout resembles a cookbook more than a book on real estate. Short hints are presented mixed with plenty of (irrelevant) pictures - half of them showing Allsopp and Spencer.
The strength of the book is that it has collected *all* the fundamentals in an easily accessible format. It is definitely not for the more experienced house-buyer, but for an infrequent reader about to buy a first home it could prove extremely useful.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Best leave this book on your coffee table, 8 Oct 2006
By Q. PHAN (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
If you like the idea of buying a house and want to have a colourful and attractive book to let your friends know that you are 'thinking of buying a house' then this is a must. If you are a first time buyer and serious about buying a house, then don't bother.

It's mostly style over substance filled with nice photos and a really annoying magazine-style layout with bits of text scattered across the page in random segments. There's also some really garbage tips like 'Kirstie says, 'don't forget estate agents are human too, why not get them coffee on the way to your viewings from the nearest Starbucks...' or some such. Which she immediately admits is a stupid idea, as if everyone followed it, all estate agents would be bloated and caffeine crazed.

To be fair there are some useful bits and pieces, but a lot of it is either common sense or common courtesy. Lots of things are glossed over so it's unclear what happens between different stages.

I think you're better off getting the Adam Walker book of the same name. It's much better laid out with clear headings and practical advice that you can follow. This one is definitly best kept on the coffee table of your Clapham flat.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for first time buyers!
This book offers invaluable information about the house buying process and answered many of my questions, as well as offering hints and tips. Read more
Published on 8 May 2007 by A reviewer

2.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but not as good as their programs
This book was bought because I wanted to buy my first property and as it was my first i wanted to get it right. Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2007 by Brendan T. Hole

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable!
Most of the other reviewers here have completely missed the point. This is not for the very experienced house buyer who is only interested in property development and return on... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2006 by Jo

4.0 out of 5 stars Only half the solution
This book has common sense advice on buying a property. A good read for the first time buyer, plus it has lots of pictures of Kirsty's flat! Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2006 by O. Harris

1.0 out of 5 stars Only for the stupid
This book provides very little relevant or useful information and will benefit only those with absolutely no idea about buying a property. Read more
Published on 19 April 2006 by Pathelo

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is really useful
This book is probably best for a first time buyer. A lot of the advice is common sense, but as a first time buyer it's reasuring to know that you have all of your bases... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2006 by unitarity

1.0 out of 5 stars Useful discussion on overall process of house purchase
It's nice to see the process summarised for first time buyers. What's lacking, however, is any warning to first time buyers that they may be investing at the top of a speculative... Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2005 by rod_jane_and_freddy

1.0 out of 5 stars Full of bad advice
A book that has come to market with amazingly bad timing. Many of the recommendations in this book could have dire consequences on your finances over the next ten years. Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a tenner
We've bought before, so we're not new to the game, but we certainly found a few golden nuggets in this book which I think justify spending the money on it. Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2004 by Martin

4.0 out of 5 stars Large text and a lot of photos of Kirstie and Phil!
I bought this book through Amazon, without having seen it in a book store. It's got some very useful information in it and a few worked examples, some of which would have saved us... Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2004 by Jon Clayton

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