Whether you’re considering buying your first ever property or you’ve already done this a few times and are just looking to upgrade, the experience of moving and buying a house is pretty unique in every situation and there are always new things to consider with each property that you consider buying.
So, in this post we’re going to share with you some of the things you should consider when buying a new house.
The Location:
The location of your new home is going to be a pretty big deciding factor in your purchase, but at the same time, it’s not a good idea to get completely caught up in the location only or move to an area just because it’s deemed to be a better location on paper or because it’s trendy – the location has to work from a more practical point of view.
You’ll want to consider things like the distance from work, school, and maybe even from family members who you like to see regularly or who help out with things like babysitting, or who maybe even depend on you for certain things.
Your Desired Lifestyle:
You may be excited to have stumbled upon the most beautiful, quaint cottage and it just seems totally perfect, but before you get carried away and start putting pen to paper, you should consider if this place will really be in line with your current lifestyle requirements.
If the only places you have ever lived is in cities, then a move to a quieter location may take some adjusting.
When considering your lifestyle, you also need to factor in your work. Depending on the restrictions in your area, is your place of work close enough to the new house? If you’re going to be working from home, will there be a good enough space for you to work from?
The latter doesn’t necessarily need to be a dealbreaker, as you can always convert the garage into an office or build a garden room. Garden offices have become increasingly popular this year, with marketplaces such as Rooms2U allowing you to search and compare all types of workspaces from a range of suppliers. Not only would a garden building provide you with that essential office space, it will also mean that you won’t have to make any modifications (or lose any rooms) in the house you’re buying.
The Condition Of The Property:
When you come across an amazing bargain, it can be really hard to pass up, but of course the downside is that you’re going to have to spend quite a bit, depending on the initial condition of the property, to get it up to a level where you can live in it.
A fixer upper can be a great investment, but you really have to know what you’re doing and run your numbers before jumping in so that it doesn’t end up costing more in the long run through getting it up to standard and also any ongoing or longer term repairs that might need done.
What You Can Afford:
Considering the financial aspect of buying a new home certainly isn’t the most exciting part, but it’s definitely an important one that needs to be given thought.
If you’re buying a place with your partner then you’ll need to make time to sit down and really have an honest discussion about your finances and what you can both afford. You should also discuss your expectations in terms of who’s going to be responsible for what financially and make sure you’re both on the same page.
We hope that this post has been helpful for you, whether you’re getting ready to buy your first house or this is something you’ve done many times over – the market changes rather fast, and areas go up and down in value, so it’s always best to be as prepared as possible and do as much homework as you can before jumping into anything without fully knowing what you want.