What To Do Before Buying A Home
With the current state of the world, buying a home is likely the last thing on your mind. However, with an ample amount of spare time on all of our hands, now is also the perfect time to start listing out your life goals and really break down what you need to do to accomplish them. Buying a home can be extremely stressful if you go into the process blind, so it’s important to do your research and know the basics of the industry before beginning your journey as a homeowner.
The most important thing that you can do as a buyer is hiring the right real estate agent for you. You not only want someone you can trust, but who has experience with the housing market in the specific area that you’re moving too. Ask your friends and family for their recommendations and be sure to check as many online reviews from past clients as well, as those will offer the greatest insight.
The same way you want to ensure that you have a reputable and trustworthy real estate agent, you want to make sure you have the same for any builders, inspectors, and any other professional you’ll want to hire during this process. Builders especially can be hit or miss if they don’t have a lot of experience in the specific area you’re moving into. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been in the industry for ten years, every town has its own specific set of rules/regulations regarding home projects and renovations, so it’s important to hire someone who is equipped to abide by those guidelines while staying on budget; this is where customer reviews are yet again going to be your best friend.
You also want a qualified inspector for the same exact reasoning. Especially if you’re buying a brand new home that’s never been lived in before, you want to ensure that all the inner workings of your future home is running smoothly and up to code.
Once you have your agent, and you find a home that you’re interested in, do a walk through with your agent and make a list together of home improvements and projects that you’d like to see completed before you move in. If the current owner doesn’t want to budge on certain projects, this is where you and your agent can negotiate pricing.
This list will also be beneficial for your home inspector, as they can enforce the current owners to complete certain projects if they’re going against any legal housing codes for the specific area. The inspector can also recommend you to reliable construction/renovation companies for whatever home improvements you may have to complete after the move.
You can never visit a property too much, the only thing you have to worry about is someone else coming along and snatching it from under you before you even had the chance to make a decision. However, it’s important to visit a home a few times before making any final decisions. Try to do your walk throughs on days where the weather is different from your last visit. This way you can see how the landscaping fairs in different climate conditions, and also see how well things like heating/cooling in the house work.
Finally, before you make any decisions, make sure you have a nice long talk with your agent and loved ones so that you can really break down every specific and clear up any confusion you may have. Remember, you hired your agent to be knowledgeable on all things real estate, so no question is too small or stupid when it comes to your future home.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
