You will have nodifficulty in making contact with the agent. As you enter his office, you willbe greeted immediately and politely asked what you are looking for. The EstateAgent’s negotiator-as he is called-will probably check that you really knowyour financial position. No harm in that, but you can always tell him that youhave confirmed the position with the XYZ Building Society. He will accept that.
He will show you the details of a wholerange of properties; many of them are not really what you are looking for atall. That does not matter. Far better turn then down than risk missing theright one.
The printed details he will give you arecalled “particulars”. Over the years, a whole language has grown up, solely foruse in Agent’s particulars. It is flowery, ornate and, providing you read itcarefully and discount the adjectives, it can be very accurate and helpful.
Since the passing of the Trades DescriptionAct, any trader trying to sell something has had to be very careful as to whatthey say about it. Estate Agents have, by now, become very competent at goingas far as they dare. For instance, it is quite acceptable to say“delightfully” situated. That is an expression of his opinion. You many notagree, but he might like the idea of living next to the gasworks. If, onthe other hand, he says that the house has five bedrooms when, in fact, it hasonly two, that is a misstatement of fact and is an offence. This has madeEstate Agents and others for that matter rather more careful.
Basically, all that you need to know about ahouse is : how many bedrooms it has; an indication of their size; whether thehouse has a garage; whether there is a garden and whether it is at the back orthe front of the house; whether its semi-detached of terraced.