The Essential Checklist For Anyone Buying Their First Home
There has been so much written in the last few years about how hard it is for people to get on the property ladder. It is getting more and more difficult for individuals to find the funds, not to mention find the right property, to buy their first home. In generations past, it would be surprising to find people thinking about finally stopping renting in their thirties, forties or even fifties. These days, we all know that we need to be smart when it comes to picking the right time and the right place no matter our income. It does not matter where you live and work or what your job is, it is always going to be a big moment when you are finally ready to put pen to paper and make that commitment to buying a property.
However, there is a huge difference between looking for a home that you will rent for a year or two before moving on and looking for somewhere that is going to be your responsibility, your property for the foreseeable future. There are going to be a lot of things that you will need to think about and a lot of things that you will need to check. With that in mind, we have put together a checklist for anyone who is buying their first home.
Know Your Budget
We know that this point sounds a little obvious, but it is so important. The last couple of years have been really tough when it comes to finding financial security. We have all had to reach into our savings, and many of us have had to go beyond that. The current cost of living crisis may affect some more than others, but we will all feel the sting. When you are buying a new property, you are committing to a seriously large investment, and you need to be crystal clear on what the upper limit of your budget is. Giving yourself a bit of wiggle room is always a good idea, but you need to know where you draw the line. It is also important to remember that the costs of buying a home do not end when you move in.
Get Good Advice
No one ever found their perfect home by themselves. We all need help along the way, and a mortgage or property finance advisor is a crucial part of the process. It does not matter whether you are buying your first property for a commercial space, or you are finally ready to commit to a large property, there are always going to be complicated steps and loan needs that you will need to fulfil. There are a lot of loan companies and mortgage advisors out there who will try to make your individual needs fit to a generic template. This is why you need to find someone who understands your needs. Advias develops innovative property financing solutions, and they will work with you to ensure that you are completely satisfied with the service they provide.
Know What You Need From Your Space
Over the last couple of years, we all realised the limitations of where we have been living. Those of us who live in the countryside enjoyed the open space but felt incredibly disconnected from our loved ones. Those of us who are in the city centre realised that being close to a tube station was perhaps not as important has having two home offices. If you are looking to buy your first property, it is important to think beyond your immediate needs. For example, you may be going back to work at the office now, but can you be sure that you won’t be spending more time working at home in the near future? And there is the classic question for any couple looking to buy a property together: are you going to have enough space to start a family? It is so important that you sit down with your partner before you start looking at prospective homes to ensure that you are both on the same page.
Is Your Home Ready To Be Green?
One of the biggest issues that we are all facing right now is figuring out how we can reduce our carbon footprint. We have seen the news stories about extreme weather events around the world and we have certainly noticed the skyrocketing temperatures here in the UK. If you are looking at properties to buy, then you need to be confident that you are buying a home that is energy efficient and which will hold up to the extremes that we will see in the months and years ahead. Investing in older properties may well mean that you need to set aside a lot more money to make these kinds of upgrades, while a new build home should be better prepared. You should also think about making room in your budget to invest in new appliances with a better energy efficiency rating. With energy costs on the rise, this is important for your bank balance as well as the environment.
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