Finding a new home may be a very exciting experience. You will want to get the perfect pad that you can make your own and settle down it. You will be quite keen to make a move. However, along with the hunt for a new home, you may find that you end up getting rather stressed. With moving homes being up there amongst the most stressful occasions in your life, you will want to find the perfect home so that you don’t feel as though you need to move again anytime soon.
Getting the right home for you will mean weighing up the options and working out what exactly it is that you are wanting from your next home. The right home has to be right for you, not someone else. So make sure when you are going through the list below that you only apply the logic that applies to your personal situation.
The right price
Unless money is no object, you will need to consider the price of the home that you are going to buy. Chances are that you will be buying using a mortgage. Before you start looking for your dream home, you will need to get your mortgage loan pre-approved. Getting your in-principle mortgage agreement will mean you will know how much you will likely have to spend. If you want to get a rough idea of how much you will be eligible to borrow based on your current circumstances, you can find a mortgage calculator on the website of many estate agents or mortgage lenders. Your mortgage payments should never be more than 40% of your household income. Knowing the price range can very often help to narrow the selection.
The right location
Location is everything when it comes to some houses. You need to think about the area that you want to live in. Is it in the heart of the city with the hustle and bustle, with city streets filled with all walks of life, and nightlife and restaurants a stone’s throw away? Or, would you prefer to overlook the coast where you can calmly sit and watch the waves roll into the land? You may want to live in the countryside, or a small town or village. Your ideal lifestyle will largely influence where you may decide you want to move to.
Check the house prices in the area that you are interested in. See how they compare to the rest of the country. Having a good idea of the housing market in the area that you have in mind living will obviously be an important factor when it comes to house hunting.
What’s important in the area?
One major factor that you really should consider is whether you are moving somewhere that is close to your family and friends. Moving to a new area can be a struggle emotionally, especially if you do not have a support network to hand. If you are moving away from friends and family, think about how you are going to make sure you are in touch all of the time, Have a real plan for meeting people and making new friends. Once the stress of the move is out of the way, you may start to feel isolated without friends around you.
Do you have children? If so, you may well want to be close to their school so that they can walk in each day. You might want to get somewhere close to a playground so that your kids can go out and play without you needing to worry about where they are.
You may need to think about how you get to work. If you need to be near the motorway for an easy commute, you don’t want to be living too far from the nearest junction. Check out the roads in the area that you are thinking of moving to. Drive around the area a few times a day and work out what the traffic is like a peak times.
You may need access to public transport. If you do, what is available, and is it within walking distance? Getting somewhere close to a bus stop or a train station may be ideal for you.
Having a range of local amenities such as shops and leisure activities may be a big draw for you. Perth Hub Apartments are one such option, providing luxurious living quarters along with a range of amenities at the foot of the building.
You may be looking for somewhere with a sense of community. Unfortunately, these days, that may be something that is missing from many areas. If this is something that you would like when you move, you should look to get stuck in.
Check out the crime stats in the area that you are looking at. You will obviously want to live somewhere with the lowest crime rates. You may be able to get an idea of the types of rime that the area is facing.
The details of the home
There will be many details around the house that you may have specific requirements. Firstly, how many bedrooms is the minimum that you would like. Ideally, if you have children, then they will be able to have a bedroom each. You may want to have a spare bedroom too for if guests ever come to stay. Bedrooms are one of the most significant factors that estate agents list properties based on.
You not may need a certain amount of bedrooms right now. However, you may be planning to extend your family. Planning ahead for this eventuality would be a good idea.
The next thing to consider will be bathrooms. Firstly, do you prefer a bath or a shower, or should you have both? You may want to have more than one bathroom. Having an en suite in the master bedroom can help ease the queue for the bathroom in the morning. You may also want to consider having a number of toilets throughout the house for convenience.
Your new home may need to be fully accessible in a wheelchair, or with a pram or pushchair. Looking at the layout of the area that surrounds the property is important, especially if you have specific access requirements.
Having a large kitchen might be important to you. If you plan on cooking a lot, or you want to use the kitchen as a social space, then try to envisage the kitchen the way that you want it.
Outdoor spaces may be vital to you. You will need to decide what you would like to do with these spaces. Do you want a garden, and if so, is this mainly for leisure and entertaining. Do you want to grow vegetables, keep chickens, or have a blooming garden filled with flowers?
Visit The Property
Once you have found a few potential homes that tick as many boxes as possible, you can arrange to go and visit them. Try and arrange multiple viewings on the houses that you are most interested in. Try and arrange for the viewings to be at different times of the day. This will help to give you a feel of how busy the neighborhood is. There may be heavy traffic or a great deal of noise. If you can, drive up toward the property and see what the area is like between viewings. Have a look around the whole area and decide if the area is suitable for you.
Check out any planning permission that may be in the pipeline near to your potential new home. The last thing that you will want when it comes to buying a home is going to be a large building popping up next door and ruining your view, or stealing your garden’s sunlight.
There may be developments being built nearby. Try and find out what is going to be in them. An industrial unit may mean that there will be heavy goods vehicles back and fore and a great deal of smog. Or, they may be building a new library for the area, Check the planning permission. Your local authorities will have records on these matters, and they may also have put up public notices and held consultations.
Have a look at the decor. Is it decorated to a high standard? Or does it need any work doing? Don’t forget, you can always haggle on the price of the property to get a better offer. Having a home that requires decorating throughout may help save you some money off the asking price.
There is a great deal of research and planning that goes into buying a new home. And if you have got to the stage where you know where you are going to be moving to, and your mortgage is secured, then you have done very well. It will be very nearly time to relax. However, don’t get too comfy, you will still need to pack up your old property and move everything into the new one.