The idea of embarking as first-time home buyers can be a little scary, especially if you are clueless where to start. To help, here are a few tips to get first-time home buyers started.
Be Patient
You’ve spent hours looking through listings and going to open houses but your journey is far from over. Everything to do with buying a house takes time. You’ll have to get a mortgage, have the home inspected and complete the closing. It all takes time.
On average, the process lasts from 30-90 days. But that really is an estimate that depends on a number of extenuating factors.
First-time home buyers must know going into the buying process that you’ll need to be very patient if you want to find the perfect match.
Choose the Right Area
You’re going to be living in your house but you’ll also be living in your neighborhood. With this in mind, the neighborhood you live in is just as important as the home you live in.
If you make a purchase based only on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms or square footage, you could be missing out on a huge aspect of your new home. Where your children go to school and how much you pay in taxes is determined by the location of your house. But it also determines how you spend your weekends, where you shop and go out to eat.
Try to at least spend a day in an area before deciding to buy there. See if you can imagine yourself living there on a day-to-day basis.
Get Your Papers In Order
The key here is that first-time home buyers need to always be prepared. Get everything digitally organized and have everything from pay stub statements to credit card debt documentation readily available. Expect to have to give even more than you can imagine.
Flexibility is Key
As first-time home buyers, you may have a list of features that you think will make up your perfect home. But you might quickly find that you are not able to find all of those features within your budget.
Prioritize your “must-haves” and know what you’re willing to compromise on. Staying flexible will give you the most options possible.
Be A Rule Follower
Don’t buy beyond your means. Work out a budget that’s realistic and still lets you enjoy your life. You don’t want to be house poor and unable to do the things you are used to.
Be Brave
The home-buying process can be daunting, there’s no doubt about it. And as first-time home buyers, the not knowing what to expect can lead to dread.
There are a range of emotions that people experience in the pursuit of finding their dream home, but it will be worth it once you finally get settled in.
Buying your first home will be an intense process, but it doesn’t need to be a scary one. Go in with a strong plan and be as prepared as possible. Approaching the process this way will help you to avoid making the wrong decision for you and your family.
