A lot of home purchasers rely on a gut feeling when buying but I’m sure you’ve purchased an item of clothing in haste at some stage during your life and ended up with ‘buyers remorse’. When making what will probably be the biggest purchase of your life this should be avoided at all costs.
To make sure you are buying the most suitable property you must firstly; assess your budget, if you have applied for and received mortgage approval from a bank then this will be pretty clear cut. If you are a cash buyer then set a limit and stick to it (particularly if attending an auction, as it’s very easy to get carried away). You may also want to check out my article on how to stand out from the crowd when purchasing
Think about your ‘needs and wants’. ‘We need 3 bedrooms but we want a big back garden’, the needs are always the core items to have on your checklist and not matching your needs will surely lead to the aforementioned ‘buyers remorse’ in the future.
Apartment versus house; apartment living is great for some, no garden maintenance, city centre locations, modern clean and fresh. However you also have the additional service fees and proximity to neighbours to consider. A house generally means more space, less noisey neighbours, no service charges but more maintenance and investment in the property over time.
Nearby amenities should definitely be considered when home hunting. The old phrase ‘location, location, location’ springs to mind. There’s no point matching your needs, wants and budget but ‘making do’ with a location that will never work. If you have kids are there schools nearby? if you both work then what childminding arrangements are available? Are you close to public transport, shops etc. Are you prepared to commute for hours to get the ideal home at the right price. A lot of people forget about quality of life when buying it should be a very important factor in your decision.
The final question you need to ask yourself is; are you prepared to do some refurbishment or building work? A lot of buyers want a turn key condition property and can’t visualise how poorly presented properties can eventually look. There are some bargains to be found it you are ready to do some additional work to these properties. The benefit of being prepared to take on a ‘fixer upper’ is that you’ll get the home you want, right down to the fixtures and fittings, although the additional work will need to be factoring into your budget. It’s best to get advice as to costs and planning implications before proceeding with a bid on this type of property.
Once you know where you stand on the above areas then selecting the right home for you shouldn’t be as daunting a task as it may look from the outset. if you have any questions please contact us we have a huge amount of experience and would love to help in your search for a home