Buying a property here need not be a mine-field of hidden charges if you follow these simple guidelines.

Before you start the mortgage process, you must make sure that your bank will lend on that specific building.It sounds simple, but clients have encountered difficulties with their banks and certain buildings.Equally, make sure the owner of the building has a title deed for the property, or has one in process. Banks will not lend to owners who do not hold this deed.Take a meeting with your bank.

Before committing or signing anything, go into your bank and check through the terms of the mortgage in some detail. The following questions might help:

•    Can I settle the mortgage through paying larger chunks of money from time to time?
•    Will I be charged redemption penalties?
•    Am I entitled to payment holidays?
•    What happens in the event that I lose my job?

Ask who your day-to-day point of contact will be at the bank.Many clients get extremely frustrated with their lack of CRM or account manager who cares about their mortgage.Ensure you have a telephone number, and preferably a name who you can contact 24|7.Banks are not all the same, and what works for other people might not work for you.Don’t just go for the cheapest option, as the rate might increase dramatically once the initial grace period has gone, and equally, you might be better suited to a more flexible package that offers you the option of taking a break from payments in the event of financial difficulty.Consider appointing a mortgage broker.These teams get preferential rates based on the volume of work that they provide banks, so their initial fee can be offset by this.Equally, they can save you time and offer you guidance and reassurance you are on the right path.This is something crucial when operating in a market that is not your native home.