Today I want to talk about buying a house and the key things I look for when I am looking to buy a home.
But first The budget
Be completely realistic with your budget. Yes, you will get told by a mortgage advisor what you can have but this is an estimate and you do not need to take the full amount you can get. This is where you need to really think about what can you afford and what do you want. If you know you are not the best a budgeting and like to spend money doing other things. You need to make the decision to spend less on your home and mortgage. This is a massive commitment so go into this with your eyes open and really make plans. If you are buying with someone else you need to safeguard yourself. Yes, you might be madly in love right now but things change so please safeguard any money and assets you are bringing to the table.
The area
If you are moving to a new village, city or town you need to find out the good and bad areas in this place. This can be done in many ways asking local contacts. Asking your estate agents. You need to know the good from the bad. This can make a huge difference in your quality of life. So get educated before you fall in love with a home to find out it is in a high crime area. You may find your dream home then find out here has been anti-social behaviour in this street for years. It is worth doing your own research. When I worked in the police I had people ask me about different areas and I would happily give advice and recommendations. This is a "its good to talk" situations. You can also do a google search for the area you want to live in, pop in something like Florence SC Homes for Sale and this will give you an idea of the area and where house are selling.
Find the perfect area you want to live in. You might be into running or cycling is there a park nearby. You might want to be able to walk to local shops can you do this with ease. The area you live has a lot to do with your quality of life. Do your research.
The house
Bedrooms
You need to make the decision on how many bedrooms you really need. Do you want a one-bedroom starter home? Or are you looking for a big four-bedroom four-bathroom mini Mansion? Of course, this will all depend on your budget and what you want. But you need to be a realist with your expectations.
Inside the house
You are going to be doing lots of house viewing. Here is where you need to be firm with yourself. right, a list of what you really want in a home. This can be anything from the number of bathrooms to open plan kitchen to a fixer-upper this is where you need to really decide what is important.
Other people stuff
You have to see past peoples stuff. The home may be in a terrible state but remember you are not looking at the broken table or bad carpet you are looking at the room sizes and what you can do with it. You need to leave your feelings for home decor outside not everyone has your style and you need to remember it is what you can do with the place when you live here.
Parking
This is a huge one for me. I need to be able to park my car without stress. This is a huge issue if you dont have your own parking at a house. Before you know it you have moved in and there is no parking for your vehicles Or worse there seems to be some sort of unwritten neighbourhood rule about where you can and can't park. Imagine if you had to park far away from your home and had to carry things in and out. This is can be a huge issue so make sure you know you have parking.
What is your non negotiable home must-haves.
You may have things you really want in your home. You need to budget to add these if they are not included. For instance, I love solid wood flooring If they house I choose does not have this I know I will want these added so I need to put that in my budget. I have dogs and Solid wood flooring not only looks luxury it is the easiest thing to keep clean. So that is firmly on my list of the house must-haves. This list can even include things like garden sheds and fencing. Let's face it if you have children you want an enclosed garden.
This is a life-changing moment in your life you need to really think about the things you want out of your home. You need to sit down and write out you and your partners want and needs in a new home. This is the time you need to be open and honest with each other and yourself. This is a massive investment you need to be happy in your choices and not settling. There is nothing worse than hating where you live. Your home is your sanctuary. It should be your safe place the place you want to come home to after a long day. So really take time and think about your real needs.
I hope this has helped you really think about what you want when buying a home.
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