If you’re thinking of buying a new home or old home for that matter, if you’re like everyone else, you have a dream home in mind. You will probably spend hours upon hours looking online at homes, researching neighborhoods, crime rates, checking market statistics, testing real estate agents on their knowledge, and before long you decide it’s finally time to go house hunting.
In order for you to maximize your house hunting efforts, here are a few things you should know about looking at homes, and things you should consider that you may have not thought about.
Location!
The most important factor of determining a homes value is the location. You can change just about anything about a home except the location. A homes location can be considered a ‘great location’ by a few factors:
- Quite neighborhoods away from busy streets
- Clean and well kept yards
- Close proximity to schools and parks
- Easy access to shopping and grocery stores
- Homes near water access
- Neighbors
- Proximity of other houses
- Access to public transportation
- The view
While out an about looking at homes, remember to consider the outside just as much as the inside. Consider the neighborhood carefully. Are there plans for expansion? Are there large busy streets? If the location is good you can always change the way the home looks on the inside and outside.
Curb Appeal!
Don’t be turned away from a home because the bushes aren’t trimmed. In showing people homes, I have found that sometimes they won’t even want to go inside a home because of the way it looks on the outside. Remember, the outside can be groomed and it may take some effort to get it the way you like it, but you can consider that when writing an offer. Go inside the home and you may find something completely different. You may find that the inside of the home is well kept, and by having the outside in bad shape, you can use that as negotiating power to get a better price.
What’s Your Deal Killer?
What are you looking for in a home? What is a deal killer that has to be there. Do you need a large kitchen? Do you need a main floor master with other rooms close by for small children? Do you need larger bedrooms for furniture? Do you need a larger garage? What do you absolutely have to have that you won’t budge on.
Figure this out, let your agent know, and make sure they aren’t wasting your time with homes that don’t meet that criteria. A good agent should know what inventory is on the market in their area. They should preview homes and know if a home will work for you or if it won’t make the grade.
Don’t Waste Your Time!
When viewing homes, if you walk into a home and know that it just won’t work, move on to the next. You don’t need to view the whole house if when you walk in the front door, you know the kitchen just won’t work for you. How many homes do you have on your list? If it’s a lot, move quickly, narrow your search, and then go back a second time. However, if while searching homes, you walk into a home that you know is your home, don’t be afraid to write an offer. No matter what the market is like, great homes with great locations always sell fast.
Be Ready To Write An Offer!
After all the time you have spent researching, talking to your lender, making financial sacrifices, be sure you are ready to pull the trigger. Buying a home is stressful, exciting, overwhelming, terrifying, and just about any other adjective you can think of. Emotions are going to be flowing through you that you never thought could. Your ready for this. You have put in the effort to educate yourself, you have an agent you can trust, and even if you write an offer, remember you still have time to back out if you just can’t go through with it.
There are clauses built into a contract that will allow you to pull out almost before you have to sign the final documents. You should ask your agent to review the contract with you before you go house hunting. You need to be familiar with what it. If you feel you’re not ready to buy, don’t waste your time or your agents time. Let them know you’re just not ready, they will be happy you did, and you should never feel pressured by an agent.
Listen To Your Agent!
If you’re working with an agent, and there shouldn’t be any reason your not, listen to their advice. If you don’t trust your real estate agent, then you need to find one that you do trust. You hired them to help you buy a home. They are bound by law to work in your best interest as well as ethically. Real estate agents are held to high standards and if they don’t hold up to those standards, they won’t have a license very long.
Choosing an agent should be easy. Talk to friends and family about agents they have used, and get some feedback about their experiences. If you don’t know anyone in the place you are moving, interview multiple agents over the phone. Find out what experience they have and how they are different then other agents. Some things to look for are: Do they answer their phone or return your calls in a timely manner. Do they respond to emails in a timely manner. Do they have information about the market they serve? Do they know what’s going on in their markets? Do they seem knowledgeable? Are they professional?
House hunting can be a fun experience if you know what your looking for and have an agent you can trust with your best interests. Make sure you do your research and have fun. Happy buying!
This article was written by Lisa Udy, Principal Broker of Platinum Real Estate Group. Lisa serves buyers and sellers with all of their real estate needs. If you are in need of an experienced Logan UT real estate agent to help purchase Cache Valley homes for sale, please contact Lisa by phone at 435-213-9335 or email her at Lisa@LisaUdy.com.
Moving is often a nerve-racking process, however, one can find quite a few tasks that you can apply to help make your move an easy one. If you identified that you’re moving before hand, it’s a good idea to begin packing as soon as possible. Bear in mind, Rome wasn’t constructed in a day and, unless you have to be out in a rush, it’s better to take it slow and keep in mind every single minor detail right now than to see yourself with the moving blues in the future.
