Business
Home-Buying Checklist: 7 Things You Need to Do Before Buying a Home
Did you know that more than 70% of adults in the United States have regrets about buying their homes?
With the housing market slowing down, people can take more time to find the best home for their needs and prevent regret.
If you want to fall in love with your home, even after your move-in, there are a few tasks to manage.
Continue reading this home-buying checklist to ensure an easy transition into your beautiful new home!
1. Declutter Your Old Place
One of the first items to add to your home-buying checklist is to declutter.
Whether you’re living in an apartment, rental, or with friends, take a look at your belongings. Moves are a great time to get rid of useless items that are collected dust and gathering. You don’t want to bring unused items to your new place, especially if you’re trying to downsize.
After you’ve decided to list your current home and look for a new place, you should work your way through each room. Grad a box for donations and another for items to recycle. If you want to make some money on some of your items that are still in good shape, you can have a yard sale or post them on the marketplace.
You’ll be thankful on move-in day when there are fewer boxes to carry and unpack!
2. Improve Your Credit Score
Purchasing a home is a large expense and if you want to get approved for a loan, you must show you are financially responsible.
If your credit score is below 700, you may have to hold off on making a purchase. Not only will low credit scores be difficult to approve, but the ones that do get approved will have high-interest rates. You can improve your score by paying debts off and reducing student loans.
Make sure you make your payments on time, each successful bill will improve your score. Although this process can take a while, it can save you thousands of dollars and improve your contract agreements.
3. Get Pre-Approved
If you’re serious about buying a home, you need to work with your bank and go through the pre-approval process.
Pre-approvals for mortgages can take time since they require a lot of documentation and proofreading. It’s important to get this process started as quickly as possible so that you can show realtors that you’ll get approved for a certain loan. This will determine your budget for the new house.
Keep in mind that if you make another large purchase or stop paying bills, you could hinder your chances of getting a mortgage. Sellers will require proof of pre-approval if they’re considering your offer.
If this is you’ve never owned before, first home buyers loans are recommended. There is financial support to help young adults get on their feet.
4. Identify Your Needs
When it comes to making an offer, not any house is going to work for you and your family.
Take time to write down your family’s needs for a house to ensure you make the right selection. Start by determining the ideal number of bedrooms and bathrooms you want in your future home. You should also consider the location of your new place so you’re nearby work and your children’s schools.
You can show your list to your real estate agent so they can find the most suitable home within your budget. This can save time and narrow your results if you’re overwhelmed by the market.
5. Visit the Home
Virtual tours are helpful, but if you’re ready to sign the papers, you should at least do a walk-through of the place.
Visiting the home before making the offer official can prevent feelings of regret and dissatisfaction. When you tour the home, you get a chance to discover the neighborhood and environment. You can get a better idea of the layout of the home and determine if you can see yourself living there.
Home tours can make you feel confident in your decision or help you notice red flags. Take your time looking through the house and don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Before buying a home, it’s essential to take care of certain things, and eXp Realty property search to help you with all the necessary steps.
6. Discover Your Options
Exploring all of the houses in your desired area can be exciting, but for some, daunting.
You should explore all of your home options, whether they are inside or outside of city limits. Expanding your expectations can help you find an affordable place with more land and space inside. If a home catches your eye online, you should drive by it or speak with the agent to learn more.
Exploring your options will help you make a final decision since you’ll have a better idea of what you can get.
7. Hire a Home Inspector
The last thing you want to deal with after moving is major repairs that you were unaware of before making the purchase.
You should always hire a home inspector to evaluate the home and identify areas of concern. The report can impact the cost of the house or you can ask the homeowners to make changes before selling.
Your real estate agent should have a home inspector they trust if you don’t know who is reputable in the community.
Have You Completed Your Home-Buying Checklist?
Whether you’re moving for the first or fifth time, the process can be stressful and overwhelming.
This home-buying checklist can keep you on track and get you into your new place in no time. If you’re unorganized, it can increase stress on moving day and make you question your decision to move. Don’t make the mistake of procrastinating, you’ll need a strong credit score and a plan to move forward.
If you want to find the best house possible, use your ‘needs’ list as a guide. Make sure you check out our page for more info about the real estate market and how to buy a house you love!
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
