How to Buy a Home

One of the biggest milestones in anyone’s adult life is to purchase a home, and this decision is massive one for finances, a person’s living situation, and potentially their entire future, so naturally, a person will want to know what they are getting themselves into and make the best purchase possible for their new home. To buy a home is to commit to a large piece of property where countless hours will be spent with the family, and the real estate market is bound to have a dazzling variety of homes big and small for someone to choose from, with plenty of real estate agents out there to help a buyer make the right call. Purchase a home with skill and an eye for detail, and a person can make the most of their future.

Real Estate

One can purchase a home that was well taken care of by the previous owner, or purchase a home that is in fact brand new and ready for its first household to move in. Newly built homes offer the most recent standards in construction and safety, while older homes may need upkeep but are cheaper. New home builders may also keep track of current trends in home ownership, too, which may make this an attractive option. overall, it has been found that the American housing market has grown about 11.4% ever since 2008, and the Millenial generation (those born 1982-1995), despite some claims to the contrary, are eager home buyers. They make up almost 33% of the entire home-buying population in the year 2017, for example, and there is plenty of room for them; estimates show that 1,257,000 new homes had been built in April 2018.

How can someone navigate this vast ocean of homes and expenses? There are a number of tricks and tips to try out. For one thing, a person may narrow down his or her search based on the local amenities and retailers in a home’s or neighborhood’s area, and this eliminates homes that are too far away from these things. For example, a nuclear family with three school-aged kids will need to find a property close to public schools, and the parents may need easy access to their current or upcoming new jobs. Local grocery stores, malls, and recreation like swimming pools or movie theaters can add to a neighborhood’s appeal, although buyers should be aware that this may influence price. Smaller households or even just one or two people looking for a home may not need a grocery store or a school so close by, so they can expand their search to cheaper properties that are further away.

The home itself should of course contain everything that the household will need in the coming years. When it is time to purchase a home, the buyer should have found a property that has enough bedrooms, bathrooms, garage space, and anything else for the number of people moving in, or for future planned children or spouses. Enough rooms for activities like a home gym, office, study, or hobby room may also be desired, so finding the space for that should be factored in as well. The same can be said for features like a large kitchen, a fireplace, a big enough garage, a back patio, a sun room, or other features that may not be as important as enough bedrooms and bathrooms, but still desirable should the budget allow when it is time to purchase a home. And since homes can be renovated or remodeled at will, unlike a rental property, a future homeowner can also find a home to modify according to need. Even model homes can have work done on them if so desired.

Before it is time to purchase a home, someone should actually visit it in person and get a feel for it. Visiting in person means checking for any maintenance issues in a used home, such as drafty doors or windows (leaking air will cost money over time), any water damage in drywall, electric sockets or lights that do not work, chipped or scratched doors or hardwood floors, old or chipped paint, worn out carpet, mold, leaking faucets, or anything else that could be a maintenance concern.