8 Things to Consider When Buying a New Home!
Houses can be pretty; we all know that. But sometimes, the details about a house are more important than what the physical appearance is. Be sure to keep these tips in mind when looking for a home!
1. Location:
You know this, location, location, location. Don’t take it for granted when you are looking for a home. Keep in mind what is important to you. Do you like to be close to grocery stores, restaurants, bars? Maybe you play pick up football in the park on Saturdays and want to be walking distance away? Is it going to be a 40 minute drive into work? Do you prefer to drink coffee on your porch naked, a rural home may be a good fit. If privacy is what you seek, distance may not be the main concern but keep in mind your overall checklist of what is important to you.
2. Taxes:
Taxes are a huge aspect to buying a home. Regardless if your taxes are escrowed into your mortgage or not, you have to pay them and they can be expensive. Make sure you are keeping in mind how much the school and land taxes are when searching in different areas. The difference in tax amounts can quite literally change the affordability of the price range you are looking in. Make sure that the value of the home correlates to the amount of money used towards taxes to make sure you aren’t breaking the bank.
3. Heating Source:
Regardless if you live in the city or a more rural area the type of heating needs to be considered in home shopping. If you find a home you like and it has a heating source that you aren’t crazy about its not the end of the world. Adjustments can typically be made, or if you love the house you deal with it. Two major factors to think about are:
a. Efficiency: Some fuels burn hotter than others and some burn more quickly. If the type of heating source isn’t accurate for the style of home then it can be very costly to keep the home at a comfortable temperature.
b. Convenience: Some heating sources (i.e electric baseboard) is very easy to use, and very clean. However, depending on where you live if electric rates are expensive it will not be lucrative to heat your whole house with electricity! Some sources such as wood furnaces or pellet stoves can be very inexpensive but they can be labor intensive and the system itself needs more attention.
4. Age of Roof:
An inspection report will help you determine what kind of condition the roof is in as well as how much longer it will last. While in some situations the age of the roof may not make or break the deal, it should be a consideration for first time home buyers as well as if you are shopping at the top of your price range. Depending on the rates where you live, with supplies and labor, the cost of replacing the roof can be upwards of 9-12K dollars. That is a hefty price tag to take on in your first couple years of buying a home if it needs to be replaced.
5. Price Range:
When shopping for homes make sure you keep in mind your budget rather than the number you are qualified for. I find (being a Realtor) that most of the time buyers will start shopping at the high end of what they were qualified for and then once they see what their monthly expenses and mortgage are going to be their price range drops significantly. Keep in mind the current lifestyle that you have, if you like to eat out regularly, or travel often you may want to budget those factors in when considering how much you are willing to spend on a home. Buying at the top of your budget means you will have to cut some of the other novelties out.
6. Updates the Home Needs That You Cant Live Without:
No home is going to be exactly the way you want it. You’re going to want to change wall colors, or the counter tops, or for petes sake that awful half bath on the main floor. When finding your home, make sure that the amount of renovations that you want to do actually makes sense with the purchase of the home. What do I mean by that? If you have a couple adjustments, fine. But when EVERYTHING NEEDS TO GO, you may just be in the wrong house. Keep your expectations and your budget in the forefront of your mind. If you are already going in with a hypothetical sledge hammer maybe you should keep shopping!
7. Layout:
HUGE factor in buying a home. You may underestimate how important this is at first. If you have children you may want their bedrooms on the same floor as yours (or maybe quite the opposite). Is the laundry room in the basement? Laundry baskets get heavy. If the kitchen into the living room isn’t open concept and you like to entertain and see the crowd, the wall in between is going to get in the way. You can make adjustments to the homes, don’t get me wrong. Walls can be removed and you can make an exception here and there. But when you start tearing down walls, that can cost a substantial amount of money especially if they are load bearing.
8. Privacy & Safety:
Privacy is another one of those things that really stands out if you want it and you don’t have it. You will find out really quick what privacy means to you when you buy a house and find out there isn’t any. Shrubs & fences can be crucial in a populated area, or alternatively maybe you prefer a country setting so you can have a large garden and let your dogs run free! Make a list of what is important to you and that will help determine what kind of setting you need.
Safety is important for everyone, but its particularly important when you have children. Homes in populated areas adorned with street lights is always beneficial, and making sure the neighborhood is safe is crucially important when it comes to protecting your family. Don’t compensate on this.
