Buying a new home can seem like an overwhelming experience, especially if you’re buying a house for the first time (and even if you’ve bought multiple houses before). To help you out, here are a few helpful hints about what to pay attention to when you’re setting up a visit to look at a house for sale:
- Real estate trends, including popular neighborhoods and popular housing styles, are just that — trends. Rather than looking at what’s popular now, make sure to look at what’s been popular in the past and what real estate experts have predicted will continue to be popular in the future.
- Materials are a big factor in determining the true value of a home (especially if you’re looking at new homes that come with furnishings), and although aesthetic quality definitely matters, the actual quality of materials, as well as the versatility, is more important. Think about the wood paneling trend of the 1970s — it was all the rage for about a decade, and now thousands of homes still bear the marks of wooden panels, despite their owners’ best efforts to redecorate. Make sure that you don’t overlook a house because the interior looks too plain or simplistic.
- Be aware that many homeowners will do minor home repair projects right before selling their house, in order to make the house look more appealing or in order to justify a higher price tag. If you’re willing to do some hard work on your own, buying a new house that needs repairs might be a good option for you; you’ll be able to control how much money you spend on the repairs/remodeling, you’ll know that you’re using high-quality materials, and you’ll be able to customize features to fit your own personal style. On the other hand, if you have no desire to do any maintenance work after buying a new home, make sure that you (or your real estate agent) double-check with the seller that the home is in perfect condition for living.
Ultimately, even though buying a new home can be stressful, it’s definitely an investment that will pay off in the end!
