House Hunting Tips

 

House hunting can be a daunting task, especially for first-time home buyers. However, this should not be the case as there are some house hunting tips that can help make the process very easy and relinquish some of the pressure.

House hunting tips that will help you choose a good home

Come up with a preference list
Determine and list the features that you want your future home to have. It can be a good idea to use your current residence to decide what you like and dislike. Just think about possibilities and figure out what you want to be included or eliminated in your new home.

For example, do you want a deck, fireplace, skylights or front porch in your new home? The preference list will help you choose a house that will offer the most of your preferences.

Use a checklist to notate characteristics about all houses you view
This checklist will help you remember the specific qualities of each and every house you view. Notate the strengths and weakness of each home you view. Track the flaws and the items that will need to be repaired or altered. This will help you consider the budget expenses that may come with fixing up the home that you may select.

Work with a realtor
The realtor will help you understand the market so that you will be prepared to make an offer you are comfortable with when you see a home you want to buy. In addition, a realtor will show you how to negotiate if the homeowner counters your offer. It is a good idea to speak with one or more professional realtors to get a better understanding of what to do when looking at homes for sale.

Consider your budget
It is usually a good idea to know how much you can afford before searching for a home to buy. Understanding how much you can afford will help you narrow your search to your specific price range. You will also find out that sellers tend to take a potential home buyer more serious when they are pre qualified for the loan amount of the home.

Avoid making an offer on a home without a seller’s disclosure
The law requires sellers to fill out a form known as a disclosure. This form answers questions about the home and leaves this in plain view of the buyer when they are looking at the home.
Reading the disclosure will give answers to questions such as how old the roof is, whether or not the home has foundation issues, termite issues, rodents, or any other problems that may affect home insurance problems.

However, you should take seller’s disclosures with a grain of salt as sellers at times lie or sugar coat things. After deciding to make an offer on a house, it is good that you have a home inspection done. Make the offer on the house contingent upon that the home inspection comes out clean.

You will have to hire a home inspector to do this. Avoid using a home inspector that the real estate agent recommends as such a home inspector will be working for the interest of the real estate agent.