Planning is important especially if you are hunting for your dream home. You can't just pick newspaper ads in random or click on banners around the web and visit the houses you've seen online or offline as soon as you're available. Not only does it consume a lot of energy on your end but it does entail a costly expense as well.
Here is a quick guide on the basic house-hunting Do's and Don't's.
DO.
- Prepare for the trip. This pertains to researching which avenues to lean towards to to fixing your own schedule to accommodate house-hunting trips. Would you like to attend an open house or would you rather have a private viewing? How much time can you allot for the whole activity - do you have the entire weekend free or you're only open to visit on Saturdays from 1 to 6pm? Identifying these will narrow down the number of real estate properties you can view for the week. Have all the necessary materials ready - notepad, digital camera, a few snacks and a bottle of water.
- Learn to compromise. Unless you are living alone, reaching to a mutual agreement is critical to the success of homeownership. If you will be staying with family, have a checklist of all the negotiables and non-negotiables. There will be instances when arguments cannot be avoided as each member will try to fight for what he or she prefers. If you encounter this scenario, discuss the good, bad and ugly points with everyone. Be transparent with your feelings yet respectful of what the majority say during the decision-making process.
DON'T.
- Fall for the same mistakes that buyers usually commit. These can range from falling in love with a home you cannot afford, ignoring the obvious signs that it requires a lot of work or letting emotions get the better of you by sending an offer that is hard to turn down even without thorough house inspection or looking at other alternatives in the market. Do remember that there is no point of owning a residence if it will be the primary reason for you to be in neck-deep debt. Be practical and sensible and you will be much happier.
- Be stressed just because the first tries were failures. It takes time and patience to find the right one. So do not expect too much too soon so you won't be left disappointed.
Information offered by avidaland.com.
