Looking for your new home can be a challenging experience. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you set off on house hunting.
Before anything else, make sure you are prepared before you start seriously house hunting. There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect home and missing out because you don’t have all your ducks in a row yet. Make sure you have your mortgage pre-approved, and have investigated insurance and other important administration. This will also make your bid more attractive to sellers.
Also know that there’s never a “right” time to buy. You could miss out on the perfect place for you because you are waiting to see what interest rates and the property market will do. You will probably also be bombarded with “helpful” opinions from friends and family members. Although well intended, this can sometimes make it harder for you to focus on a big decision. In the end, the most important opinions are those who will actually be living in the house.
When assessing properties, be critical but not too critical – it is nearly impossible to find a perfect house which fits your criteria 100%. Know which priorities are the most important to you and consider properties which fit your top priorities, even if they may not meet all of your less-important criteria.
Also remember that important factors extend much further than the property itself – don’t forget about environmental concerns like access to services, noise level and local transport.
Practical considerations are important, but above all else you need to make sure you love the place – after all you will need to live there, hopefully for many years!
Finally, when it comes to negotiating the sale, don’t get too caught up in “winning” the negotiation. Being too tough in the negotiation may mean missing out on your dream home.
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