Buying a new home is one of the most important transactions of your life. Making sure you have an experienced real estate agent by your side is crucial, as they will guide you through dozens of documents, coordinate your loan, and advise you every step of the way. While your agent will move you through all the major pieces of your home purchase, there are a few little things you’ll need to keep in mind!
1. What price range should I be looking at? You’ll need to get pre-approved before you can really go house-hunting. Although you probably have a good idea of your budget for a home, a lot of factors go into determining what kind of mortgage loan you will qualify for. Your agent will get you in touch with a trustworthy lender who can help you through the process.
2. Have I considered the hidden costs of owning a home? As you are budgeting for your house, remember things like lawn care, pool maintenance, heating/cooling costs, HOA fees, and new appliances will all add to your total expenses. Make sure to build these things into your final estimate. This is another thing your real estate agent will be able to help with too, ask them what hidden costs they think might come up with a certain home!
3. What will I be doing with all my furniture? This is an important consideration and not something you want to be doing as movers are holding either end of your couch. Depending on your situation, you may need more furniture or you may want to consider selling some pieces before you make the move. It’s a good idea to have the measurements of all your big items (beds, couches, dining room tables) so you can go through the new house and be sure everything will fit how you want it to. (Pro tip: measure your front door and make sure you’ll be able to get everything inside!)
4. Do I really know the neighborhood I’m moving into? You are buying a neighborhood just as much as you are buying a house. It’s important that you feel comfortable with your neighbors, the walkability of the area, the yard maintenance of the other houses, the noise level at night, etc etc. We recommend spending some time just hanging out in the neighborhood, taking some walks with the family, talking to any neighbors you see outside, and just generally making yourself familiar with the area!
5. Am I getting hung up on things that can be easily fixed? If you love a house for everything except the paint and the carpet, don’t let that stop you from submitting an offer. It’s fairly inexpensive to repaint a home and there are affordable flooring options you can look at if you want to rip out the carpet. It’s much harder to change things like number of bedrooms/bathrooms or the general layout of the house. If you like the “bones” of a house then you can probably fix the rest at a later date!
What do you think is the most important thing to consider when buying a new house?
