Things Not To Do Before Preparing To Buy A House
Buying a home is likely to be the largest purchase you’ll ever make, and it’s not one you want to take lightly. Here’s a list of things to keep an eye out for when buying a home. Keep reading to know more.
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House scouting is simply the beginning of your home shopping process and it might end up being a long-winded task. It is a big purchase and a complex process too. We need you to save on the hidden costs you end up paying if you don’t know how to get to the real value of the house. We have got you covered on this. Here’s a list of don’ts you should look out for making your home buying a pleasant experience.
What not to do while buying a house?
Go for the big purchase with mortgage pre-approval
The first step of buying a house is to get a pre-approval for the mortgage. The lender assists the borrower with the documentation to get your mortgage pre-approved.
Why do I need to get the mortgage pre-approval?
- Pre-approval assists you to learn about your current financial status and the house you can afford.
- It allows the lender to assess your financial record, helping you know the price range within which you can buy a house.
- It helps with the out of the pocket amount you need to save money for the big purchase.
How Should You Get the Pre-approval?
Pre-approval is the smartest move towards your home buying. You can get the pre-approval by following the steps below:
- Check your credits and get the credit bureau reports in advance
- Collect and organize all the essential documents in order
- List various lenders offering pre-approval
- Compare various offers and mortgage rates and make an informed decision
Why the closing costs are important?
Closing cost is the cost that is over, and above the property’s quoted price. Buyers and sellers usually agree upon this cost to complete the transaction. The closing cost for buying a house in Canada can fall between 1.5% to 4% of the mortgage loan.
How can you lower your closing cost?
It hurts to pay more price over and above the actual cost of the house. You will encounter various types of costs and fees touted as closing costs. These calculations are confusing and ambiguous. To deal with the ordeal, you may follow methods to cut the closing costs.
- You can search for a moneylender who offers transparent and lowest closing cost
- Evaluate the loan estimate and find out why is the cost so high for the lender
- Always negotiate with the lenders to reduce their fees and they would certainly have to that to keep you
- Citing the market sentiments and economic situations, you can also directly ask the seller to reduce the closing cost
Why should you not show excitement to buy a home right away?
When you look for a new house, you might fall for a house that is out of your budget. Right at the initial stage, you might even like a certain house and want to buy it. Your best approach in such cases is to be realistic about your expectations. It is better to keep your emotions in control and remain calm during the entire process of purchasing a house.
Do I need to enquire in the neighbourhood?
The neighborhood is important because that is where your children will grow up and learn from their surroundings. You are going to live here, and your neighbors do matter. Never head dive into buying a new home without enquiring about your neighbors. Here is the list of questions that you need to ask about your neighbors and the surrounding communities of the property.
- How many people live in the vicinity?
- Is the area kid-friendly?
- Do the residents living nearby rent a house or own one?
- Is there cultural diversity in the neighborhood?
- Is the neighborhood peaceful?
- Are the neighbors helpful and approachable?
How can you find out about the neighbourhood?
- There are various ways to determine whether the neighborhood is good to live in. Here are a few important aspects to look out for.
- Visit the area, both during daytime and night
- Ask residents regarding the changes and developments in the area
- Find out about at the nearest schools, hospitals, grocery store, traffic, playgrounds, and gas station in the neighborhood
- Find out the crime rate and history of any crime ever happened in the area
Why do I need to estimate the costs of renovations?
Renovations are expensive and time-consuming. Learn to be flexible with your budget if you redecorate the property. Research and find out the average estimated costs for renovating the house. After estimation, don’t assume the expenditure will be the same, it may end up costing way more than that. Prepare a miscellaneous expenditure fund.
How to save money on the renovation then?
- Define a budget and stick to it as much as you can to keep the expenses low
- Save on the material costs and pay for essential pieces
- Try to reuse the material to save costs
- Try DIY (Do It Yourself) projects to save on the labor costs
When preparing for buying a house, be careful to not do things that may delay, complicate, or create problems for you in the future. Make a to-do list, meticulously organize the home buying process, and make an informed decision. You need to make a list of important questions you should ask before you set out to buy a house. Let’s look at ‘Most Important Questions to Ask Before You Invest in Real Estate property’ to get underway.
