A dream home may be something that you’ve always visualised yourself living in. Now that you finally have the money to invest in a property, you should take the time to look for a house that you can call home for the years to come.
The feeling of looking at available houses and scrolling at listings can be ecstatic, but if you’ve been doing it for a while now, it can be exhausting and frustrating, especially after you’ve been to a few open house inspections and lost an auction or two.
To make it easier for you, below are some tips you may want to keep in mind when house-hunting.
Apply and get pre-approved for a mortgage in advance
Before even looking at listings, it’s wise to apply for a mortgage and get approved in advance. Not only will this make it easier for sellers to consider you as a serious buyer, but it will make the search faster by narrowing down your choices to properties that are within the price range of the mortgage that you’re approved for. Also, make sure that you are making the right choice, getting a reliable property valuer can help you in deciding if the property is a good fit for you and your budget.
List down non-negotiable things
Every property listed is different and if you’re not specific with what you’re after, it will be harder for you to look for a house that will suit your taste. Before you even begin searching the market, take the time to list down the non-negotiable aspects that you are looking for in a dream home. It will help you save time by automatically crossing off any property that doesn’t have these features in it.
Find a good location
Looking for a house in a good neighbourhood is critical. Ideally, somewhere near a school, public transport, and shopping centre. It’s another factor that will make the search easier. But before committing to anything, take the time to explore the potential neighbourhood as well, so you’ll know what you’re getting into.
Be specific with the style that you’re after
Surely, you’ll be more biased toward a particular style or house design. If you already have one in mind, stick to it and forget the other styles which will just make choosing more confusing. Once you’ve decided which suburb to settle in, for example, Brentwood, search for houses for sale in Brentwood and only shortlist those that meet your design criteria. This way, you can save time by eliminating the need to inspect homes that you will only reject in the end.
When house hunting, only keep three contenders to choose from. After inspection, decide there and then if it makes the list or not. By doing this simple trick, you’ll only have your top three properties to choose from at any time. Also, at some point, you’ll have to stop looking at market listings as having additional options won’t make it easier for you to make that decision. Remember, there’s no such thing as ‘something better will come along’ after you finally get a good price for one of the contenders, so don’t make it harder than it already is by adding unnecessary choices to your list.
