One of the most exciting things that a person can is hunt for a house. The endless options available can be intoxicating, and imagining yourself living there can cause a lot of frustration that it hasn’t happened yet. In 2020, 6.5 million homes were sold in the US alone, and on average, of those houses, most were sold for 10% less than the asking price. This means that knowing what you are looking for, and know what you are doing is very important, if you want to be able to buy a house at those rates.
Something that many people struggle with is finding a house that they love, that also happens to fall within their price range, and many get frustrated with how long the process can take. If you are wanting to buy a house, or have been looking for some time, but are overwhelmed with the choices and aren’t sure what to be looking for, here are a few tips when buying a house.
Use a real estate agent
Many first-time home buyers think that they are fully capable of handling the entire process of buying a house by themselves. While many are, most people simply don’t anticipate how much work it actually has, or how painstaking it can be. One of the best things that you can do is to use a real estate agent to help you through the process.
A professional agent, such as the ones that Top10RealEstateAgent would recommend, will know the market, and as a result, will be able to recommend the best houses to you that fall within your budget, within record time. An even better real estate agent will know of houses that are for sale that aren’t on the market, which increases your options.
Going to the viewing is important
Since the internet boomed into popularity, many people feel comfortable looking at the photos on websites without actually going to the viewing, which in many cases, leads to buyer’s remorse. Firstly, each house has its own personality and mood, so going to the viewing allows you to feel if the house is a good fit.
Secondly, the only way to know if there is anything wrong with the house is inspecting everything in person. Fresh paint can hide damage to walls that could be caused by water leakage. A plug outlet that isn’t working could be because of a bigger electrical problem that will cost thousands of dollars to fix. These things can only be found out if going to a viewing or inspection.
The neighborhood makes a difference
Something that you should not forget if you are planning on buying a house for the long haul, is that the neighborhood makes a difference. If you have a family for example, you will want to check what schools are in the area and if they are any good. More than that, you should factor in the distance to the school since this will add to additional costs and time spent driving.
Other factors to consider would be what the level of crime is like in the area, if it is noisy or quiet, are the neighbors friendly, how long does it take for emergency services to arrive, and how far is the central business district. These things might not cross your mind when thinking of the house itself, but they will certainly be apparent once you are living there and causing an inconvenience.
You should know your needs
The next thing that you should consider when buying a house are your needs, and more specifically, knowing what they are, now and in the future.
If you are going to be living alone, then you might not want something that is too big or spacious, but if you are going to be living with your family, then you should consider how many rooms are enough, for example. If you are going to be working from home then you need to know where the kids’ rooms will be in relation to your office so you aren’t disturbed throughout the day.
Every little detail should be considered as they will affect your experience living in the house.
Which type of house do you like?
The final thing to take into consideration is what type of house do you like? There are many styles of houses, such as;
- Farmhouse
- Victorian
- Contemporary
- Colonial
- Cape Cod
To name just a few. Each house has a different architectural style and features, so be sure to do research to find out what they are. This is also important information to give to the real estate agent to help them with the search, which will save a lot of time.