The Ultimate Home Buyer Checklist (For People Who Want To Avoid A Raw Deal)

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Picking a home is a big decision. In fact, it’s probably one of the biggest you’ll make in your life, besides choosing a spouse.

In this post, we take a look at some of the factors you’ll want to consider when picking a home. Check them out below.

Check Whether It Requires Renovations

Some people want to move into homes that meet their needs from day one. Others want properties that are fixer-uppers: low cost to buy upfront but that have massive potential.

Your job is to decide which side of the fence you want to be on before you go ahead and buy. Do you want your property to be perfect when you move into it and pay a premium for the privilege? Or do you want to go in at a lower price and do all the renovations yourself?

Imagine You Live There Already

Most people take used cars for a test drive but don’t do the same for homes, usually out of politeness. However, this approach is actually damaging the market. People are winding up buying the home equivalent of lemons and then having to spend a small fortune on fixing up their properties.

The trick is to imagine that you live there already. Go to the bathroom and flush the toilet. Unfold the ladder that leads up to the attic. Try turning the locks on the external doors to test whether they are working currently.

By checking whether things work, you’re saving yourself time and money. You’re also putting pressure on the owner to fix the problems themselves.

Think About Your Long-Term Needs

Most people plan on staying in their properties for fifteen years or more. However, most only wind up staying about six before moving on.

The reason for this is simple: they’re not considering their true long-term needs. Most buyers overestimate how much their lives will change in the next two years, and underestimate how much they will change in the next decade.

Think carefully about what you want and how much space you’ll need. Remember, choosing the right home today is considerably cheaper than moving around multiple times.

Get A Property With Enough Storage

While the majority of apartments near me come with plenty of storage features, it’s not standard throughout the industry. You can sometimes wind up in a property that simply doesn’t offer you all the space you need.

Before going ahead with a purchase, check that you have space for all your possessions. If you don’t, then you’ll be constantly fighting an uphill battle regarding where to put everything.

Check Other Properties In The Area

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You can often tell a lot about a location by the way that other people present and maintain their properties. If most of the houses look dishevelled and as though they’ve seen better days, then it is a sign that you’re looking in the wrong area. However, if the accommodation looks good, you might be onto a winner.

So, in summary, always do your checks before picking a home. They could save you a lot of time, fuss and money.