For most responsible adults – you are free to provide your own definition of responsible, or adult –, the idea of buying a house can be overwhelmingly risky. It’s a long-term commitment that changes your life: Besides the obvious financial commitment – unless you happen to be a millionaire who doesn’t believe in mortgages –, there is the matter of bringing a family in your chosen location – where is the nearest school for the kids? Is the neighbourhood safe? –, making sure that the house is safe and sturdy, and finally creating a home sweet home feeling into a new place. In short, there’s more to buying a house than just choosing the address and packing your boxes. So if you want to make sure that your house purchase will be a success, you need to get the work done in advance: This means researching, preparing and planning.
Get The Research Work Done
For a start, before your commit to buying the house, you will need to consider essential factors to decide whether this is the right place for you. Indeed, while the price is an important selling argument, you need to compare the price against the condition of the house. When important repair work is necessary, such as fixing the roof or the plumbing system, they should be reflected in the price of the property, for instance. Additionally, the location is also a deal maker or breaker. You will be naturally looking at houses at are situated next to all the amenities you need, from the shops to the school. In short, the isolated mansion on top of the cliff might be a dream house for an ermite, but not so for a family with children in age to go to school.
Get The Household Budget Prepared
Once, you have done the research work about the house, it’s time to turn to the household budget. Remember that a great house can still be a nightmare to run at a daily basis if it doesn’t benefit from competitive energy and water prices. Always run a comparative energy price survey, with Selectra for example, to find out about the local offers. You should also check with the current homeowners, if the house is still inhabited, how much their yearly energy budget amounts to. This can give you an idea of costs and also highlights potential problem areas in the house, such as poor insulation or old windows that let the air in.
Put Your Designer Hat On
Last, but not least, if you are still convinced by the house at this point, it’s good to measure the main rooms to see if your current furniture set will fit. There’s nothing worse than having no more room for that extra large leather sofa, for example! Additionally, as you visit the house, make a mental note of future home improvement projects that you could do when you move in. With a little planning and a lot of DIY love, you can completely change the atmosphere in a house. So remember to take into consideration the potential of the house instead of its current structure.
XOXO
Debbie
