Our guest author today: Amy Collins
.jpg)
Getting a new place is always exciting, as every new beginning usually is. But finding the right home can be tricky as you probably won’t be able to do it very often. For that reason, people create wish lists of features they would like their new home to have. A list like this can make it easier to decide which home is better for you when you have several to choose from. Also, when you have a wish list when looking for a new place, you ensure that you don’t forget to check some important details. Here are ways to create such a list and save yourself from making the costly mistake of choosing the wrong place.
When looking for a new place, many factors will be involved in your decision-making process. But you must determine what your priority is and what is less critical. For example, some people struggled with insufficient storage space in their old homes. For them, it might be crucial that their new place possesses enough storage for all their belongings. Others might consider a backyard the most relevant because their children like to play outside.
When it comes to one’s needs and priorities, there is no rule as to what is correct. You are the one that knows what is essential for you. That is important because there’s a pretty good chance your budget is not unlimited. That means you cannot afford a place that scores the highest in all features. Make a list of features you define as positive ones and sort them according to how important they are to you. It will be easier for you to determine how high on your list is something a place lacks and whether you can live without it.
Getting familiarized with the red flags, you should pay special attention to is also essential. Speak to a professional if technical sciences are not your area of expertise to tell you about the defects a house may possess that are costly to correct. As with all the decisions in life, it is helpful to get to know the vital information related to the topic. Key terms will be repeated many times, and it would be good if you learned what they mean. Also, when a civil engineer, for example, tells you about the importance of a good foundation, it would be good if you already knew something more about it. Here are some of the biggest red flats you should add to your wish list when looking for a new place:
● Water in the basement. That could be a sign of problems with the gutters, the roof, the foundation, and many other things. Solving this issue could be very expensive, so make sure you inspect it well.
● Cracks on the walls. If you see these, the best action would be to consult a professional. The problem may be merely cosmetic or structural.
● Signs of termite damage. Termites can be tough to exterminate. An expert consult is a must.
.jpg) |
| The presence of termites may be costly to fix, so look for the signs of it. |
Unless you are the only one living in this new home, you should consider what the others have to say. Remember that the family is about love and respect for everyone’s needs and opinions. Therefore, everyone should say what they would like their new family home to be like. When you approach the home purchase that way, you’ll ensure your entire family is happy with your choice.
.jpg) |
| When creating your wish list when looking for a new place, make sure you include the opinions of other family members. |
Unfortunately, for most of us, desires and reality differ significantly. That is mainly because of the money we do or do not possess. Fortunately, none of those material things we can afford make a real difference in our happiness, so it isn’t a big issue. But when buying a new place, it is easy to forget about this fact. So, before starting the whole process, determine your budget and stick to it at all costs. You should be able to afford to buy a new home, maintain it, and pay the bills. Take that part into consideration as well. If you are buying internationally, research what your monthly costs would be there. Buying a house overseas can differ from buying one in the States, as there are different daily costs. Having all the data beforehand is a sure way to avoid making mistakes.
.jpg) |
| Never let your budget out of your sight. |
The wish lists are great when you are looking to buy a new home. But what to do when you find several that have similar features? You can always use the proven classic: A list with Pros and Cons. Sometimes the old methods are the best. Just take a pen and paper and list all the positive sides of a place on the left and the negative sides on the right. If you can’t decide between several properties, that should be the last step in becoming a homeowner.
When creating a wish list when looking for a new place, just focus on what you want. Also, consulting a professional is always a good idea because their experience can help you avoid costly mistakes. And don’t forget other people's opinions in that new home. Their satisfaction can only enlarge yours, so don’t take it for granted. Always keep in mind the following: The more effort you put into something, the outcome will be closer to what you desire.
Author’s Bio
Amy Collins is an architect and an expert on logistics that has been part of the Four Winds KSA team for several years. She writes blogs advising people looking for new homes to help them find the perfect one and relocate to it in the least stressful possible way.
Photos used:
https://unsplash.com/photos/r_X4YHAlBPo
https://unsplash.com/photos/ivxb0wfeWzg
https://unsplash.com/photos/pElSkGRA2NU
https://unsplash.com/photos/CHVTt0aGbx0
Our Guest Author Today: Mark Johnson
.jpg)
A house with a picket fence or a modern unit with walls around it to protect your privacy fully? What does the home of your dreams look like? Being a homeowner is what most people want to achieve, seeing it as one of the ultimate goals in life. But, as usually is the case with big dreams, making the one about owning a home become a reality is not the easiest thing in the world. Nevertheless, it is worth fighting for. If you are willing to go down the road of making your dream of becoming a homeowner come true, here are the main things you should do.
The first step on your journey of becoming a homeowner is to define how much money you can spend. You must know what your budget is to eliminate viewing houses that are above it. Put on paper your current income and how high a monthly installment of a loan you can afford to pay, for example. In case you have the cash or some property you can liquidate to buy a home, consider how big a new home can be for you to be comfortable paying all the bills. It is easy to get lost in the world of gorgeous real estate and forget the reality, so don’t go there before you know your numbers.
.jpg) |
To make your dream of becoming a
homeowner come true, you must define your budget first. |
When you are determining your budget, you must also think of how you will secure the funds you need to purchase a home. You have to know whether you are eligible for a loan if you need one. One of the things you can do about that is to get pre-approved for it. By getting a mortgage pre-approval, you will discover the highest loan you can get and how much it would cost you every month. That is very important information you should take into consideration when you are planning your budget.
.jpg) |
Before looking for houses, you
might want to get pre-approved for a loan first. |
It is much better to approach the home-buying process by knowing exactly where your home should be. Some people dream of moving to one of the newly developing areas, for example, and there is no point for them to view homes that are located somewhere else, no matter how great they are. By knowing where you want to live, you will be narrowing down your search.
Once you know how much you can spend and where you need to look for it, it is time to finally start searching for a house. Bear in mind that a real estate agent will have questions for you regarding what properties you are looking for. Analyze your priorities in terms of what features your new home should have and communicate them to the agents. Here are some questions you should have in mind:
• How many bedrooms should there be?
• And how many bathrooms?
• Should it all be on the same level, or is it ok if the house has multiple floors?
• Should there be a garage as well?
In essence, you should point out the features you are set on, so the agents can eliminate the homes that don’t have them and save you a lot of time.
Moving in can be a sweet labor or a chaotic hell, depending on how well you plan it. This is especially true if you are making an interstate move. If you want it to be a former, either hire professional movers or make a very detailed plan on how that should happen. Moving from Florida to Texas, for example, can become a nightmare if you are doing it alone in your one car, making a thousand round trips. If you opt for a simple transfer with experts and hire interstate movers, on the other hand, you can focus on the good stuff, such as decorating your new home or getting familiar with the neighborhood. However you choose to approach it, just make sure you plan things. Here’s what you should have in mind when you’re planning your relocation:
• Packing supplies. All your belongings will have to travel in something, and it’s very unlikely you will possess enough suitcases for them all. Nowadays, there’s a variety of packing supplies to choose from, depending on your needs and preferences.
• Labelling. All the boxes and containers should bear labels. Otherwise, looking for something you need urgently will become a mission impossible.
• Workforce. In case you are not hiring professional movers, you’ll need friends and family members to carry all your stuff out of your old home and into the new one.
And the final piece of advice for making your dream of becoming a homeowner come true has to do with the repairs and refurbishing. That is something you must do before you move in. Before you decide to buy a home, you will organize a home inspection which will show all that needs repairing. It’s not a good idea to do those repairs with all your belongings in the house, as they may get in the way and suffer some damage. Besides, the repair work will last much longer if the workers need to step around the furniture. Therefore, be done with it before moving in.
.jpg) |
The process of relocation is not
exactly the easiest, so put some effort into planning it well. |
To make your dream of becoming a homeowner come true, you’ll have to go down a longish road full of obstacles. But the destination is worth it. Just make sure you are well-informed about everything, especially when it comes to your loan options. Also, do not do anything in a rush and without a plan, as that kind of chaotic behavior results in stressful situations as well as expenses you weren’t counting on. But what matters is that you can do it! So, get to work and make that dream of yours a beautiful reality.
Mark Johnson is a financial consultant that specializes in real estate investments. He also works as a member of the logistics team at getmovedtoday.com. Thanks to his vast knowledge of finding homes and relocating to them, Mark writes very informative articles that have helped many people.
Photos used:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-shirt-standing-near-brown-cardboard-boxes-4568743/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-and-woman-sitting-while-holding-keys-8293737/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/realtor-suggesting-mortgage-for-buying-apartment-5849569/
It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who closely follows the economy or not, chances are you’ve heard whispers of an upcoming recession. Economic conditions are determined by a broad range of factors, so rather than explaining them each in depth, let’s lean on the experts and what history tells us to see what could lie ahead. As Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst at Bankrate, says:
During the pandemic, second homes became popular because of the rise in work-from-home flexibility. That’s because owning a second home, especially in the luxury market, allowed those homeowners to spend more time in their favorite places or with different home features. Keep in mind, a luxury home isn’t only defined by price. In a recent article, Investopedia shares additional factors that push a home into this category: location, such as a home on the water or in a desirable city, and features, the things that make the home itself feel luxurious.
![Key Terms To Know When Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC] Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/11165436/Key-Terms-To-Know-When-Buying-A-Home-KCM.png)
![Key Terms To Know When Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://api.simplifyingthemarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Key-Terms-To-Know-When-Buying-A-Home-MEM.png)