When looking for a house, you have plenty of things in mind. Finding a perfect home for your family is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do. People tend to make a lot of mistakes when hunting for a house and let their emotions get the best of them. They often tend to overestimate their finances and underestimate their emotions. Here’s how you can find a perfect home for your family that satisfies your feelings and is well within your means:
1. Research thoroughly.
If you do not want to fall prey to common home-hunting mistakes, you need to do your research. Research makes the process of home-hunting more manageable. First, you need to take the time to picture your dream house and then make a priority list according to that. Make sure that the priority list answers all important questions regarding your needs and wants.
2. Know your finances.
Having a priority list will do no good if you cannot afford what you are looking for. Most people start house-hunting with just a rough figure in their minds. They fail to take into account the additional costs that come after buying a house. Therefore, you need to completely know your financial condition before you decide on a certain price range. You will have to save some money to cover the expenses like arrangement fees, surveyor fees, broker fees, etc.
3. Pay attention to the location of the property.
Some things don’t come to the buyer’s attention until after moving house. A suitable location should be on the top of your priority list. For example, if you have children, you need to make sure that there are good schools nearby. If you have young children, you might want parks nearby. It’s also important to see how far the house is from your work. If you like eating out, you might want a neighborhood with good restaurants. The bottom line is that you need to pay attention to the entire vicinity and not just the house.
4. Look beyond obvious problems.
If you’re looking for your dream home, you need to go beyond obvious problems. From cupboards to ceilings, you need to inspect everything carefully. You need to visit the property a few times at different times of the day to thoroughly inspect it. There may be problems that might not be visible at night but are evident in daylight like scuff marks. Inspect everything from odors to cracks to small stains on the walls. Create a checklist of everything you think needs to be inspected and don’t make a deal until everything is crossed off that list.
5. Think about expansion and your future needs.
Though the house you are buying may be suitable for your current needs, it may not be suitable for your future needs. For example, right now, your family needs only two bedrooms but in the future, your family may need three. So, look around and make sure that there is room for expansion and the property can be tailored to meet your future needs.
