Buying a house is probably the biggest purchase you will ever make. So, it’s normal to be a little worried about it. Doing your research and finding house-hunting tips will help you stay calm and make the right decision. Buying homes is not an easy step to take, so follow our house-hunting guide if you’re unsure of what to look for when house-hunting.
Our House Hunting Tips Checklist
Whether you’re moving to a place down the block or moving across the world, the same principles apply. The only difference is that if you’re moving overseas, you’ll have to find an overseas shipping company that does car shipping overseas. That’s about it. The rest of the moving tips for house-hunting remain the same. So check out our house-hunt checklist that will give you the basic knowledge on how to house-hunt and what are the most important things when buying a house.
#1 Think About Where You’d Like to Live
The first thing you should do is decide where to live. There are so many factors that need to be taken into consideration. What are the things to look for in a house? Picture your perfect home. Where is it? Is the reason for the move the giant backyard you desperately want to have? How many bedrooms does it have? In what neighborhood is it? If you’re moving with kids, it’s really important to find a good one because of the school districts. Does it require moving abroad? Is there any need to contact an overseas moving company?
Think Twice About Moving Internationally
Think long and hard about what you want your ideal home to be like and if you’re ready to move internationally by sea. If you’re already going through the process of dealing with an international moving company, be sure it’s worth the moving stress. We strongly advise you to write a moving abroad checklist. We’re aware of the fact that living overseas sounds like a dream, but there are downsides to any plan. Putting pen to paper and writing everything down will help you see the pros and cons of relocating abroad. If the pros outweigh the cons and you’ve realized the benefits of moving, we can start assembling the moving to-do list.
Find the Right Destination and Property
Before you get to what to pack when moving abroad, find out what the perfect location is for you. Start by finding out the best places to live abroad, and go from there until you land on your dream destination. Once you’ve found exactly what you’ve been looking for, start flipping through the listings for that destination. Your desired place with a big backyard and a terrace is in there somewhere. Look through property websites (Trulia, Realtor, Zillow, and alike) with a fine tooth comb.
Have a Tour of the House – You Need to See the Garden and the Kitchen in Real Life, Avoid Online Tours
You might be surprised to hear that buying a house online is an option these days. Listen, we thought buying groceries online was weird. But it seems that we’ve come to be so reliant on the Internet that we no longer buy just regular items online. Now you can buy a property. But we’re old souls, and we strongly advise you against buying sight unseen if you have the option of going to the address.
Seeing the property in real life and on a computer screen can’t compare. Camera lenses are trained to mask any shortcomings and issues. Either they won’t make it into the picture, or they will, but they will be photoshopped or heavily filtered. So, go to the open house if there’s any way. Another important thing to remember is that you will be able to talk to the seller if you go to the open house. That can help you out a lot. You can find out if the furniture comes with the place or not. If it doesn’t, consider how much that will affect your budget.
#2 Figure Out If You Can Pay For Your Dream Home – Manage Your Finances
Now that you’ve found your perfect place that fulfills all your heart’s desires, there’s just one question left – how are you going to pay for it? You need to organize your finances and create a moving budget. That way, you will know exactly how much you can afford to spend on moving services, mortgage, packing services, closing costs, insurance, and any other expenses that could come your way. By setting a budget, you will eliminate unnecessary costs.
The first thing you should do is find out what your credit score is. Having a certain credit score is a prerequisite for a mortgage loan. If your score is below a specific number (usually a FICO 620 score) you won’t be able to get a loan. If you don’t qualify for a mortgage loan, you’re not in a position to buy your dream home yet. Try to downsize to something more affordable and practice saving money. Another thing you could do is widen your search range to cheaper cities and neighborhoods.
Getting Pre-Approved Would Go a Long Way
In the perfect world, you would be pre-approved for a loan. That would show the seller that you are serious about your offer and that you can back it up. It would let him know that you mean business. The way that pre-approving works is that the mortgage lender will look at your overall finances:
- Your income,
- Credit score,
- Savings,
- Debt,
- Any other factor that could be useful.
#3 Do Thorough Research on Your Hometown Before Putting a Deposit Down
Once you’ve established where you want to live and the fact that you can afford the move, it’s time to think about the bigger picture – think about your lifestyle. The house fits you, but will you fit in? Adjusting to a new country is never easy. One of the biggest moving mistakes people make is that they don’t consider the culture shock. It’s not the same when you’re moving to San Francisco from New York as it is when moving from New York to the Middle East.
Not even in the friendliest countries in the world will you fit in if you don’t know and respect local customs. The first thing you need to know about how to live in another country is to get to know their culture and tradition. Think about the language barrier, the difference in laws, income, politics, and so on. Even documents needed to travel abroad could be different. Once you’re sure you’ll love your new neighborhood, you’re ready to buy. If you need some guidance on how to learn a new language, watch this video.
#4 You Won’t Make a Mistake If You Hire an Agent
The best piece of advice we could give you if you want to move efficiently is to hire a real estate agent. In this market, hiring a realtor has become one of the moving essentials. Even though you can do it all on your own with a little assistance from Google, it’s always better to have help. Real estate agents are professionals with years of experience. They are bound to know more and have a few tricks up their sleeve. They can easily answer any questions you might have, like – how do you know when to stop looking for a house? While you would need a few days to figure out what time of year is house inventory highest, they know it in their sleep.
How to Pick a Good Realtor?
Instead of calling up the first agent that pops up on your screen, you should dig a little deeper. The best way to get to a reliable agent is to ask for recommendations and referrals. Call your friends and family and ask them if they could recommend someone. Do your homework and check their sites and online reviews. A good rule to follow is to look at a minimum of three options before deciding.
A good realtor should be there to make your every wish come true. They will listen to your concerns and questions and address them. Think of them as your personal consultant. They should listen to your requests and wishes and take you to open houses, and show you listings of the homes that fit the profile. They should be your support and stand by your side when negotiating or dealing with sellers. They will also teach you the appropriate etiquette of house hunting – what to wear to open houses, how to talk to sellers, what not to say, and so on.
#5 Get an Inspection to Sweep the Place
This step is especially important if you’ve been meaning to buy the house sight unseen. If you can’t check for leaky pipes or cracks in the floors or on the roof by yourself, hire a professional to do it for you. In today’s real estate market, where everyone is trying to survive, sellers will sometimes intentionally forget to disclose to the buyers any issues the place might have. The last thing you want is to move into your new home and find out there are many things wrong. And if you find that out after you’ve moved in, the cost of repairs will fall on you. That’s why it’s important to stay smart and hire professional inspectors to check if there are any issues.
#6 Negotiate the Price Down
This tip could save you thousands of dollars. Learning how to haggle your way into knocking a couple of percent off the asking price is a great way to save money. No matter how long you’ve been chasing to close this deal, don’t get desperate; make your offer. Remember – they need to sell much more than you need to buy, and that rule applies to buyers almost anywhere in the world as well, especially if it’s a buyer’s market. So don’t be shy to negotiate the best possible price for your home. All buyers do it. You don’t have to stop at that – throw in some extra terms, like them paying the closing costs, and see what else they can offer you.
Don’t Lose Hope If the Process Is Taking too Long
Purchasing homes is not simple, and despite having the option to buy them online, it can’t be done in a day. Based on the number of open houses you went to, the listings you have looked at, and the number of sellers you’ve talked to, you’ve figured out this process can take a while. It’s normal for house-hunting to last up to six months, even a year, in extreme cases.
This is the biggest purchase you’ll be making any time soon, so don’t rush into it. All good things take time. Just remember to never give up and never lose hope. Your perfect home is out there and waiting for you. If you’ve got a good real estate agent and our house-hunting tips embedded in your brain, you won’t be looking for much longer.
