Guest blog from Oliver Crudgington - How Barton Hawk helps you buy smarter and save smarter

by Oliver Crudgington

Jan 01 2025

By Oliver Crudgington, Founder of Barton Hawk Property Buying Consultancy

For most people, buying a home is the biggest financial decision they’ll ever make. It’s not just about securing a roof over your head; it’s about investing in a property that aligns with your lifestyle, long-term goals, and financial well-being.

At Barton Hawk, we focus on empowering our clients with the confidence to make informed decisions. While finding the right property is crucial, understanding how to maximise its value and ensure you’re not overpaying can set you on a path to financial success. Here’s how we help our clients buy smarter while saving money.

The Barton Hawk approach

When you partner with Barton Hawk, we don’t just guide you to a home—we guide you to the right decision. We specialise in:

• In-depth market analysis: With our deep understanding of the property market, we ensure you’re armed with comparable evidence to understand a property’s true value.
• Negotiation expertise: Our proven negotiation strategies help you secure the best price for your chosen property, based on your financial goals and priorities.
• Tailored advice: Every client’s journey is unique. We offer bespoke advice, from navigating estate agents to understanding potential future investments in your home.

Understanding estate agents and how we work differently

It’s important to remember that estate agents represent the sellers of the property. Their job is to secure the highest possible price for the vendor, who employs them on a commission basis. In other words, estate agents are incentivised to get as much money as possible out of the buyer—and they’re very skilled at doing so.

At Barton Hawk, we provide the same level of expertise and dedication but for buyers. Our role is to represent your interests, ensuring you don’t overpay and guiding you through the purchasing process with strategies tailored to your goals. Like estate agents, we work on a commission basis, but we’re only paid upon exchange of contracts. This means we’re fully aligned with your success.

Tailoring negotiation to your love for the property

At Barton Hawk, we understand that not all properties are equal in the eyes of a buyer. That’s why we take the time to gauge how much you love a particular property. If it’s a 10 out of 10—the house of your dreams—our negotiation strategy will reflect that. In such cases, we focus on securing the property for you while ensuring you don’t overpay unnecessarily, perhaps leveraging surveys or other evidence to adjust terms without jeopardising the deal.

On the other hand, if a property is a 5 out of 10 for you, our approach changes. We’ll work to secure the best possible price, knowing that your emotional investment in the property is lower and that value for money is your primary concern. Understanding your personal ranking of a property allows us to tailor our strategy and achieve the best outcome for you.

Positional negotiation: Why being ready to proceed matters

A key part of buying smart is positional negotiation—being ready to proceed when making an offer. If you need to sell your current property before purchasing, it’s absolutely imperative to secure offers on your own home first. Without this, your ability to proceed is limited, and your offer, no matter how generous, will carry less weight with the vendor.

For example, if you offer above the asking price to buy time while trying to sell your own home, you risk arming the estate agent with a high offer that they can use to drive up interest from other buyers. The estate agent might tell prospective buyers, "We already have an offer in excess of the asking price," without disclosing that it’s contingent on your sale. This creates urgency for other buyers and increases competition, making it harder for you to secure the property.

By getting your property sold first, or at least securing offers, you position yourself as a proceedable buyer. Vendors are far more likely to accept an offer from someone who can move quickly, rather than waiting indefinitely for a chain to complete. This approach reduces the likelihood of overpaying in desperation and strengthens your negotiating position.

Buying Smart: The key to gaining equity

One of the best ways to gain equity in a property is to buy smart from the start. Negotiating £10,000 off the asking price is often far easier than adding £10,000 worth of value through renovations and improvements. While improvements can enhance a property’s value, they come with added costs, time, and effort—not to mention moving expenses and potential disruptions. By securing the best possible deal upfront, you’re setting yourself up for financial success from the very beginning.

Timing is everything in negotiation

A key part of successful negotiation is understanding when and how to raise concerns. Let’s consider an example of timing in action:

Imagine you’re viewing a house listed at £500,000. During the viewing, you notice that the roof requires serious maintenance, which would cost approximately £20,000 to repair. If you immediately offer £480,000, citing the roof as the reason, there’s a good chance your offer will be rejected, as it’s perceived as undervaluing the property upfront.

Now, consider a different approach. You offer the full £500,000 and proceed to have a survey conducted. The independent surveyor confirms that the roof repairs will indeed cost £20,000. At this stage, you approach the estate agent and explain:

"We were happy to pay the asking price, but the survey has revealed that the roof requires £20,000 worth of work. We’re still very interested in proceeding with the purchase but would like to revise our offer to £480,000 to reflect this cost."

This approach doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s a far stronger proposition than offering £480,000 initially and being outbid or rejected outright. It demonstrates your willingness to meet the asking price initially while relying on factual evidence from the survey to adjust terms. Timing, in this instance, can make all the difference.

Building confidence through education

Many of our clients tell us they felt overwhelmed before coming to us. Our approach is designed to give you clarity and confidence. We encourage you to view multiple properties and take detailed notes to build your understanding of the market. When you’re ready to make an offer, you’ll feel prepared and assured.

Take the first step

At Barton Hawk, we’re passionate about helping you buy your dream home at the right price. Whether it’s your first home or your forever home, our expertise ensures you’ll make a smart, informed decision.

Ready to start your journey? Contact us today to learn how we can guide you through the property buying process. Together, we’ll make your next move your best move.

About Barton Hawk Barton Hawk Property Buying Consultancy specialises in empowering homebuyers with confidence, clarity, and the tools to secure their dream homes without overpaying. Learn more at www.bartonhawk.com.