Purchasing a new home can be quite the daunting task. As most people tend to embark on the search with a set of things they want in a house, sometimes unrealistic for the budget in question. For some home buyers, it’s the yard, while for others it’s the kitchen that is a priority. As essential as it is to get a house that fits your requirements, there are some things you should absolutely not do when purchasing your next home. Most people get caught up in getting all their wishes fulfilled that they do not remember to look out for the “nos” of buying a house. In a bid to keep you from harm’s way, we have compiled a rather functional list of the things you should not do when buying a house.
Don’t shop without an agent
Some people try to bypass this thinking they are skipping over having to pay for agent fees. So they end up going house shopping on their own. This is obviously a misstep, for a couple reasons. One, buyers are not responsible for paying the agent in their transaction; this responsibility is actually on the seller’s side. Also, agents help to mitigate the stress and legitimacy concerns of the house shopping process. There is a lot that goes into a single transaction that home buyers would be forced to handle without using an agent. Such as necessary document preparation, meeting hard deadlines, and following proper real estate procedure. Doing so could end up costing you more than if you had just went with using an agent.
Failing to carry out an inspection
Not inspecting a house with a professional handyman can be very problematic in the long run because you may end up with a house which requires fix or two in virtually every department. Do not be afraid when your handyman hands you a long list of things requiring repairs; just make sure your real estate agent is available to go over them with you. That way, you can renegotiate the price of the house factoring in how much you have to spend on repairs so as to bring the house up to code. These items can also be negotiated with the seller to have fixed at their expense.
Not considering the future
While it is almost impossible to predict the future of a potential neighborhood, you should also not get too carried away with the house that you forget to take into account the neighborhood. Do not forget to ask these questions about your new neighborhood;
- Is it close or in a good school district?
- Are floods common during rainy seasons?
- Is burglary an issue?
- Do the roads get congested during rush hour?
- Is there a lot of undeveloped land and what is most likely to be built there?
- Is the neighborhood a choice location?
- How far would my commute to work, school be?
–Justin Johnson, The Jason Mitchell Group
