Not doing the proper accounts, getting carried away when hiring the mortgage or forgetting some basic questions are some of the mistakes you should avoid if you are thinking of buying your first home.
The housing market is going through one of its sweetest moments in recent years. After a period of almost total drought, the sale of real estate has reactivated and already has seven months of consecutive increases. In this context, there are many who consider buying their first home, a decision for which it is necessary to take into account many factors.
Before making such a relevant decision, it is estimated that each consumer spends six months analyzing their real possibilities of purchase. However, that does not prevent anyone from being free from sin. For this reason, we have prepared a list of the 10 most serious mistakes that you should avoid if you are thinking of buying a home, especially if it is your first.
Thinking that your only option is to buy
The popular expression that “renting is a waste of money” should never be taken as a general rule when considering buying a first home in Abbotsford BC. Neither renting is the ideal option for all budgets, nor buying. Although acquiring a house will allow you to allocate money each month to finally make the home you live in yours, remember that becoming an owner has added expenses that you normally will not have with rent: insurance and other products linked to the mortgage, municipal taxes (such as IBI), community expenses, etc.
To that we must add an additional factor: if you take out a variable mortgage, your installment may change over the years and, in a context of low Euribor like the current one, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise if it experiences major uploads.
Therefore, before knowing what is best for you, do the math, analyze your situation and, just with the calculator and paper in hand, decide which is the best option for your pocket.
Not calculating the real cost of buying your first home
Before purchasing a home, you must remember that you will have to face several expenses. The main ones are the cost of the property itself, taxes and processing costs, and the interest that you will have to pay to the bank if you decide to apply for a mortgage, as you can calculate with our simulator. In total, you should have savings equivalent to 30% of the value of the house you want to buy so that your accounts balance.
Accept what they lend you
Before any decision that affects your personal finances, it is you who must take the reins of the operation and the person responsible for making numbers to make a correct decision. Therefore, before requesting a mortgage to buy your first home, do your homework and don’t let anyone decide for you. As you know, it is advisable not to request more than 80% of the value of a home from the bank, but you should always do numbers to find out if, in your case, you can afford a greater debt. In addition, it is essential that you take into account the differences between variable and fixed mortgages so that you know which one is best for you to hire.
Not properly analyzing the area where you want to buy your first home
Before buying a house for sale in Abbotsford BC, you should analyze in detail the areas that you like the most. To do this, make visits at different times of the day and check issues such as available services (shops, transport, schools, outpatient clinics, etc.) in detail.
Not asking the right questions of the seller
When visiting the properties that interest you most, take this list of basic questions with you and do not let the seller comment on any other questions that may arise.
- How many visits has the house had? And offers?
- How long has it been on the market?
- Can I see the latest revisions of the electrical and gas installation?
- Have there been neighborhood fights?
- Why is it for sale?
- How many reforms have been made?
- How old is the boiler and when was the last service done?
- When was the electrical installation last changed?
- Where do sellers move?
- What are the IBI expenses?
- Who lives above, below and next door?
- How long have the sellers lived there?
- What does the sale price include (for example, furniture)?
- How about parking?
Not taking photos of the house you want to buy
When you visit the different houses that interest you, it is important that you take your own photos and even take measurements or ask for a plan with detailed measurements. Beyond the information that the seller himself can provide, this information will allow you to get a totally real idea of the party you can get from that property.
Not visiting the house at different times of the day
If you do not have much time, it is best to visit the house in daylight hours to have a better perspective of the space, the brightness of the rooms, etc. Of course, whenever you can, try to visit the house at different times to check things such as noise, traffic and parking possibilities, the temperature of the house, etc.
Not checking certain basic things in your first home (or negotiating for them)
In addition to asking questions, you should check if the house has any kind of damage or if there is something that is not working well. Once you have made the list of elements that do not convince you, negotiate with the seller if he will take care of the arrangements or if he prefers that you do it in exchange for a reduction in price.
These are the main questions to examine:
- Check for moisture stains, cracks, or any trace of leaks
- Open doors and windows
- Test the switches
- Locate where there are plugs
- Inspect the plumbing
- Test the heating
- Ask about the type of lock the house has installed
- If there is carpet, check the condition of the floor underneath
- Turn on your phone (to check for coverage)
- Examine the exterior walls
- Check the orientation of the house with a compass
Not talking to the neighbors
It never hurts to try to chat with the neighbors about what could be your future home. This will allow you to know details that the seller will not tell you, check the profile of those who live around you, know if those who live around you are mostly owners (or tenants), know the defects and virtues of the neighborhood from another perspective, etc.
Analyze the potential of buying your first home
In principle, a first home should not be viewed with the eyes of an investor. In theory, your main home should be designed to live in it for the long term and, if one day you decide to sell it, it would be normal for you to opt for something better. Therefore, even if its sale price goes up, so will the new house you want to go to.
Now, that does not mean that you do not spend a while analyzing if it has the potential to sell it again. In the event that your economic circumstances change drastically or that, due to an emergency or job changes, you have to move, it is important to check if the home would sell well: that is, not only if you could recover your investment (and obtain some benefit) but also if the property would sell quickly.
Also Read: https://theblogulator.com/why-buyers-should-always-think-of-using-home-inspection-services/
