Home Buyer Checklist
Buying a home can be one of the most stressful times of your life, but it doesn’t have to be!
You’ve been saving for a while, you’ve narrowed down your preferred neighborhoods, and you’ve determined it’s time. Almost ready to buy a home? Don’t go in unarmed! Dot all of your I’s and cross all of your T’s with a home buyer checklist!
Know Your Budget Limit
First on the home buying checklist is knowing your limit and staying within it. Be realistic about how much you’re able to spend on utilities, mortgage, and insurance so that you can look at homes in your price range.
Visit your bank to get pre-approved for a mortgage and use handly online tools like a mortgage calculator and home spending estimators to get you on your way.
Find a Good Realtor
Word of mouth and online reviews will help you find a good realtor who will show you homes in your budget and taste. They’ll guide you on making a good offer, negotiating the price, and closing the deal.
Realtors will help you on your way to getting the keys to your dream home.
Don’t Skip the Home Inspection
You may be tempted to save money and skip the home inspection. Never skip the home inspection.
Unless your home purchase is a new build and it has already come pre-inspected, having a professional come in and look at it will save you major headaches. Homes can come with issues big and small that the average person can’t see or detect.
Trust us on this one. You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a renovation that could’ve been prevented with an inspection.
Energy Efficiency Is Important
Utility bills may be an afterthought at the moment when you’re looking at homes, but you’d be making a big mistake if they are. Homes without up to date efficiency standards can be just as big of a money pit as after purchase renovations.
Check the age of the appliances thermostats, and windows and looks for the energy star stamp to verify their authenticity as well as other simple energy-efficient home designs. Energy-efficient homes decrease utility bills by 30%.
Get Ready for Closing
Ensure you have all the documents necessary to make the closing as smooth as possible. Your mortgage papers, proof of home insurance, IDs, downpayment and closing costs covered are all needed for the whirlwind of closing.
Additionally, you should also have a real estate lawyer ready to go to review the drafted closing agreement and go over any necessary legalities with you before you sign.
Keep Your Home Buyer Checklist Handy!
There you have it, you’re ready to go house hunting with this home buying checklist. You’re fully prepared for what to expect from search to sale and its time to start checking out homes.
Ready to look? Check out our homes inventory, your dream home awaits!