A written offer will be submitted on your behalf by your solicitor and will be accepted by the seller's solicitor in writing. Letters detailing the exact terms and conditions of the contract will then pass back and forth between the respective solicitors. These letters constitute "the missives" and once all terms and conditions have been agreed the missives will be"concluded" and you will be in a binding contract. If you fail to fulfill your obligations in terms of the concluded missives you may be liable to pay substantial damages to the seller and it is therefore vital that you take good advice from your solicitor and ensure that you have your finance arranged.

So how much can you afford to pay for your new property? There are many costs that can be easily overlooked in the excitement of looking for your new home. It is essential to establish the one off costs of moving home together with the continuing costs and Hunters Residential can help you with your budgeting. We have our own in-house independent financial advisers at Gillespie Macandrew Financial Services. There are literally thousands of different mortgage deals available to you. To ensure that you choose the one that best fits your requirements consult Bob Wilson and his team and speak to Tricia Jameson our senior purchaser who can talk you through the legal costs involved.ou are likely to get.

If you want to buy a new home speak directly to the builders or their sales agent. If you want to but an older home then there are various sources of information.

Register with an estate agent like Hunters Residential and you can ask to go on to their Buyers Register. They will keep you advised on any new properties that they bring to the market that might fit your requirements. This information can come to you however you wish - by telephone, by automated e-mail or even by text message to your mobile phone.

The property press is an obvious place to look - the Edinburgh market is well served by the Scotsman and Evening News. Estate Agents sell less than 10% of property in the area but you may find your next home in their Real Homes Guide.

The largest source of property for sale can be found through the ESPC, either on their web-site, their center in George Street or through their web-site.

Web-sites now make it easy for you to view property from the comfort of your home. To keep up to date with Hunters properties why not have a look at www.huntersresidential.co.uk.

What happens next? Contact your appointed solicitor immediately. Provide them with details of the property address and the selling agents and they will Note your Interest. This simply involves a phone call from your solicitor to the selling agents confirming that he/she is acting on your behalf and that you would like to be kept informed of any developments e.g. if a Closing Date has been set. Noting interest costs you nothing and does not commit you to any further action.

If however the property you see is being marketed at a "Fixed Price" then the first offer at that price in standard terms will be successful - it is imperative therefore that you move quickly to ensure that the property isn't snapped up by another interested party.

If a number of parties have noted interest in a property then the selling agent will probably set a date and time for offers to be submitted. This is when you require expert advice from your agent. Tricia Jameson our senior Purchaser has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Edinburgh market and will provide you with as much background information about the property as she can, including evidence of similar recent sales in the area. Most offers are now submitted subject to satisfactory survey and if you are successful we can advise you on the type of surveys that are available to you.

Remember the seller is not obliged to accept the highest or indeed any offer submitted at a Closing Date however in most cases the highest offer will succeed unless it has some unacceptable conditions attached.

There is not a right or wrong answer to this question. Circumstances change with every transaction. The market changes from month to month and your existing property may or may not sell quickly. At Hunters Residential we will sit down with you to discuss the pros and cons of buying first. We will not be afraid to tell you what you may not want to hear as our priority is to ensure that you are given best advice to avoid any future stress.

It is always helpful at a very early stage to invite one of our valuers out to look at your property. They will discuss our marketing strategy with you and give you a realistic indication of what your property is likely to sell for.