As Which? tends to be, this is practical, simplistic, and to all intents useless. I think I feel better having this book than not, but don't really feel I've gained anything from it. Mind you, it's focussed more heavily on the later stages of buying a house, compared to where we are (still looking around). The Plain English feel of this book is pretty soul-destroying, but I suppose I can't argue with its uncontroversial contents.
This is a shame, really, since what I'd like to know more about is the dynamics of the housing market, in order to get a sensible housing deal. How likely is a crash? How are prices coupled to other economic factors? What's supply and demand doing? How's buy-to-let affecting things, and is it likely to change? Is the increase in mortgage multipliers something that's here to stay, or a dangerous fad? Instead, it offers all of half a page telling you the difference between buyers' and sellers' markets.
Perhaps this isn't the book I want, then. If you have no problem choosing what to spend such vast amounts of money on, and can happily guess what it's worth, this book'll help make the actual transaction seem as dull and mechanical as possible.
Posted 2006-11-25.