Thursday, January 10, 2008

Things To Consider Before Buying A Home

Anybody who has purchased a home can recall the happy feeling of finally finding the ideal property and instantly falling in love with it. The feeling is an indescribable blend of excitement, comfort, and dreams about to become reality. Then you start asking yourself “Can I afford this? Will they accept my offer? How soon will I be able to get the keys?”

While good vibes are unquestionably good signs in deciding to buy a home, you should not let emotions overrule the reasonable judgment of whether a specific home really meets the needs. There are some rational questions that you would want to ask yourself prior to making a commitment to purchase the home. Here are some of the most important things to consider when buying a home:

Price
Even if you’re lender tells you that you can pay for the home you desire, you have to analyze if you’re comfortable with your monthly payment obligations. Is the home’s downpayment within your budget? Do you have enough money to pay moving expenses and transaction costs? If the home requires some major repairs, redecorating, or remodeling, will you have the necessary funds within adequate time-period?

Condition
Aside from the home’s price, the home’s condition must also be among top considerations. Does it need new roofs, extensive electrical wiring upgrade, new plumbing? Or is it disaster-ready? A home that’s a fixer-upper with great potentials can be an excellent find or money pit. It is important to consider if you’ll have the capacity to meet all financial challenges, as well as live with the inconvenience and mess while it’s being renovated.

Configuration and size
Is the home the ideal size for your requirements, and is it with the correct combination of bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas? Check if the small closet-less den is actually spacious enough for a child’s bedroom, or if its one bathroom would be adequate for you and your family. Look into all of the home’s details including kitchen space, countertop, cupboards, width of the garage, and everything else that counts in comfortable living.

Comfort
It is important to look into how comfortable the home will be for you. Does it have central heating and central air-conditioning? Are climate controls essential for you? Are windows big enough and correctly positioned to have cross ventilation? For two-story homes, check is there’s a bathroom downstairs for your guests who can’t navigate going up the stairs.

Style
Consider of the architecture and the design of the home is too traditional or too modern for your liking, including home furnishings and furniture.

Resale potential
Some people averagely move to new homes every seven years. If you’re among those who want to sell the home in the future, or if ever you have to sell the home because of some unexpected circumstances, look into how easy it’ll be to find willing, able, and ready buyers for the type of home you chose.

Features
Several buyers get drawn to pricey home amenities that appear desirable and attractive during the time, but afterwards find it to be less pleasure and more of a headache than they anticipated. Can you really maintain a swimming pool? Is the high-maintenance of ornamental trees within your means? What about expensive hardwood floors, commercial-grade appliances that are kitchen built-in? Always keep in mind that some homes are much easier to be viewed and visited than to be owned.

Buying a home that you really love can be very exciting. However, before making any commitments, be sure to check some of the most important considerations that will help you determine if you’re actually making the right decision.

1 comment:

Pia @ homes for sale in philippines said...

Thanks for sharing those things to consider before buying a home. I’m sure this post would really help home buyers especially the first time buyers.