How to Start Your House Search
Searching for a home to buy is exciting — but it can also be overwhelming, especially if it will be your first home. In particular, you may have no idea where to start. However, it’s actually less complicated than you might expect. Here are some pointers to guide you.
1. Decide What You Need and What You’d Like to Have
It’s important to differentiate between what are essentials and what would just be nice to have. This will prevent you from ruling out homes because they lack a feature you don’t actually need and could otherwise be a great fit. For instance, you may need a certain number of bedrooms and bathroom but only want a home of a certain age. You may decide an open concept floor plan is a necessity, or you may prefer one but could go without if other aspects of the house are exactly what you’re looking for.
2. Choose a House Style
Use a list to decide what style of home would best suit your needs. For instance, if you’ll be working from home and want plenty of natural light, a contemporary style home could be ideal. Deciding on a style will help you narrow down your options and make your search more manageable.
3. Select the Neighbourhoods You’re Interested In
Next, do some research to decide where exactly you’d like to live — this could be one neighbourhood in particular or several. Find out about local schools, calculate your commute, and check if the neighbourhoods have all the community amenities you need. As well as visiting homes, spend time in the neighbourhoods to see how it would feel to live there.
4. Receive Pre-Approval for a Mortgage
Before you start visiting homes, receive pre-approval for a mortgage from a lender. If you wait to apply for a mortgage when you’ve already found a home you’d like to buy, you may lose the property to another buyer — sellers prefer to accept offers from people who would definitely be able to purchase the property. Furthermore, receiving pre-approval shows you how much you’ll be able to afford and prevents you from visiting places that are out of your budget.
5. Keep a Record of the Houses You Visit
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget the details of each home you visit. If all the homes are in the same style and have similar features, you may start to confuse them. It’s important to remember what you loved and what you disliked about each property to ensure you make an informed decision. The best way to do this is to keep a record with photos and notes about each home that you can refer back to later when assessing your options.
It’s easier to find your dream home when you work with a local expert in real estate. Spruce Grove homebuyers can rely on Damon Bunting to look out for their best interests. Connect with Damon to start the process of buying the ideal home for you.