Purchasing a house is an exciting stage in your life — whether it’s your first, last, or in-between. But, it’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of planning the move that you can sometimes forget to check off essentials on your to-do list.
OK, we know planning your living room color scheme is a priority, and envisioning the island in your kitchen sprinkled with herbs, spices, and the scent of a freshly cooked dinner wafting through the house is what you buy the house for. The most fun aspect of buying a new property is turning it into a home. But, what if you overlook all the details because you are too focused on the end product?
You wouldn’t spend 15 minutes viewing a property that you intend to live in for years, would you? Remember to make the pre-move phase as detailed as possible and keep the following three things in mind.
1) Make Sure The Real Estate Agency Is a Good One
This might sound like an obvious piece of advice, but you would be surprised by how many families become dissatisfied with the real estate agency they do business with. Many people tend to take recommendations from friends or trust a relative that’s an agent.
No matter how you found your agency, you must do your research on the agency before purchasing a house.
The team should be experienced in your local area. For example, if you are looking to buy a house in Charlotte, you need a team that knows the area, including its nearby suburbs. There’s no sense in taking a friend’s recommendation if the agency is only established in Greensboro.
Your agent also should know what you’re looking for in detail. The more specific you can be about square footage, room number, etc., the more satisfied you’ll be.
Choosing the correct real estate agent is a must if you want your whole moving house process to run smoothly and professionally. Consider reading reviews and testimonials. You may even want to interview previous clients.
2) What’s The Area Like?
OK, you’ve found your dream home. It’s got your dream garden, your dream kitchen, your dream everything.
The trick is not to get ahead of yourself. Make sure you check out the area and find out what it’s like in the evening. If it’s situated near a bar or potential nightlife hotspots, chances are it will be rowdy at night. You might underestimate the traffic sounds from the nearby street if you visit on a weekday afternoon.
3) Have You Been Fooled By The Staging Of The House When You Viewed It?
This takes us back to the beginning — the delicious smells you envisioned wafting through the house, the beautiful interiors making the place feel cozy, the overall feeling of the house as a home.
If this is how you’ve viewed the house and you’ve been sold on it purely from the staging, you could be setting yourself up for disaster.
Intelligently placed mirrors, cozy fireplaces, strategic lighting, and fresh coats of paints are all age-old tricks sellers use to make their property seem more appealing.
Try and go into the house with a blank canvas, and don’t be sold on just the interior decorating. Ask if there are any problems with the house:
- How old is the roof?
- Is there damp?
- Is the plumbing up to scratch?
There’s no way you could enjoy your beautiful surroundings if things are fundamentally wrong with the actual property.
Bottom Line
Don’t let these three tips take away the enjoyment of viewing and purchasing your home. However, we recommend getting details about your future agency and property.
The more you find out about the house in the early stages, the less chance you’ll be giving yourself a future headache.