Buying a home is a significant investment and a personal achievement you should be proud of. Before you make that all-important offer, however, there’s a lot to do and think about.
The following advice should help you ensure that you have a smooth and successful home-buying process. You want to be confident that your final decision is going to make you happy over the long term and that you have no regrets. In no time at all, you’ll be on your way to homeownership and thinking to yourself that it wasn’t so bad of a journey after all.
1. Research Your Options
The first step to take before buying a home is to set aside time to research your options and see what’s out there. Get to know the areas where you’re looking and may want to live. Learn more about the health of the housing market and what type of property might be suitable for you and your family members. Think about the future, and whether you plan to grow your family and will need extra space and bedrooms one day.
2. Find a Trusted Real Estate Agent
Make your home-buying experience more pleasant and easier on yourself by working with a real estate agent. If you do your due diligence, you can find someone you trust will get the job done right. It’s a good idea to read reviews and ask friends and family for recommendations so you can rest assured that the person you select is the best for the job.
3. Get Your Finances in Order
A significant part of the home-buying puzzle is the money aspect. Create a budget and know how much you roughly want to spend on your home purchase. Check your credit score, set a down payment goal, and be aware of any obstacles you might face when applying for a loan. For example, having a DUI on your record may make loan officers and banks think twice about helping you out. Therefore, work with a company such as ExpungeAmerica that specializes in DUI Expungement and can get this offence removed from your record.
4. Visit Properties in Person
Another step you should take before buying a home is to visit properties in person. Make appointments to go and see your top prospects and start to compare your notes among the houses. While pictures and online postings are helpful, they don’t always tell the full story. You might also find you fall in love with one property over another once you see it live.
5. Get a Home Inspection
You’re doing yourself a disservice if you skip out on a home inspection. Take this step before buying a home, so that you know what you’re getting yourself into and what issues you’ll need to address. After a home inspection, you can try to negotiate with the sellers by referring to some of the items on the inspection list before you move in, or even knock some money off the listing price.
