The Real Estate Blog

You’ve decided to buy a home but now what? I’ve put together a list of five important things you need to do before buying a home. For even more advice, check out our blog post on where to start when you’ve decided to buy a home.

1. Choose experienced professionals to work with. This includes finding a realtor who is familiar and experienced in the city or area you want to move to. Prepare a list of questions to ask your realtor before you meet him or her. Find out what kind of experience they have, how many buyers they’re currently working with and ask if they can share any references with you. Finding a trusted house inspector who will inspect the home you want to buy and finding a lawyer who can help you when you close on the house is equally important. If you can find the professionals you can trust to make your home purchase go smoothly, it likely will.
2. Get your finances in order and settle on a budget that you’re comfortable with. This means visiting the bank and seeing what kind of mortgage you will be preapproved for. Although the bank will give you a mortgage that you can afford, you need to be comfortable with the actual dollar amount. If you travel a lot or want to make some home improvements it might be a good idea to opt for a smaller mortgage so that you have leftover income each month and can avoid being “house poor”!
3. Create a checklist that includes the area you want to live in, along with other important details like wants, needs and absolute must-haves. If you need to be near a certain school district or can’t imagine living across the city from your favourite farmer’s market, add it to your house hunting checklist (http://www.dewarrealty.com/blog/house-hunting-checklist.html). Your list should also include home features that you’d like to have and this can be anything, including how many levels you want the home to be, whether you want a condo or a house or even if you really want a pool in the backyard. Just remember to keep your expectations in line with your budget!
4. Declutter your current home. The less stuff you have means you’ll have more space in your new home and it will make your actual move much easier. This will save you time, money and the hassle of moving a thousand boxes to your new home. If you aren’t using certain items, chances are that you don’t actually need them. Consider selling what you can on eBay or Kijiji and use the money to redecorate your new house! If you can’t sell the items, donate them to an organization who can use them.
5. Take your time. If you’re saving money while you search for the perfect house, this is okay! Searching for a home can take longer than you think and it’s important not to rush or settle for a home that isn’t quite what you want. If you’re renting, stay on a month-to-month agreement so that you have the freedom and flexibility to move when you do find the house you want to buy!

Want more tips for buying and selling a home? Visit my blog for an excellent list of resources that are sure to help you out!