This week’s blog post is part one in a two-part series about the top house hunting mistakes you should avoid. Whether you’re purchasing your first home or are a seasoned veteran looking for a home to retire in, these mistakes are easy for anyone to get caught up in!

  • Falling in love with a house you can’t afford

This is the number one house hunting mistake you should avoid. It is also the most common mistake people make when they are looking for a new home. Once you’ve found a home you love, it’s easy to imagine yourself living in it – which makes returning to homes in your actual price range very difficult to do. I suggest first looking at homes at the lower end of your budget and working up from there. Avoid the temptation all together by only looking at homes you can afford! 

  • Not getting pre-approved for a mortgage

Avoiding mistake number one is much easier to do once you know exactly how much house you can afford. You will need to visit your mortgage lender to figure out how much money you will be preapproved for so that you can make a budget and start looking for homes. Keep in mind that even if you’re approved for a higher mortgage, you will need to keep your other goals in mind, like saving up for that family vacation or your child’s education fund. 

  • Not having a clear vision of what you want

If you aren’t sure exactly what type of home you are looking for, you will end up wasting a lot of time and setting yourself up for disappointment. I always suggest making a house hunting checklist that includes all the features you need to have, would like to have and things you don’t want. This will help guide your realtor and ensures that he or she will only show you homes that you could actually see yourself living in. 

  • Ignoring potential issues

This major house hunting mistake also ties in with the above point. If you are desperate to get into a new home right away, you might be overlooking some major money-draining issues. Renovations are expensive if you haven’t budgeted for them and major repairs can creep up unexpectedly that can really hurt your bank account. New houses come on the market every day so if you’re patient while looking for a home, you will eventually find one that’s right for you!

The easiest way to avoid making these common house hunting mistakes is to hire a realtor who you can trust to help guide you through the process. It’s our job to remain objective and give you the right advice to make sure the home buying process goes as smoothly as possible.

Stay tuned next week for part two in house hunting mistakes to avoid!

Posted by Greg Dewar on
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