Whether you’re buying your first ever home or you want to upsize from the property you already own it is important that you make the right decisions regarding a purchase. Of course, emotional attachment will come into play when buying somewhere new to live, but there are some practicalities that you should consider too – so you can be confident the purchase is the right decision for you. Here are some things to check when buying a new home.
Space
It is important to ensure that the property you buy has enough space – not just for the family you have now but for any future changes – a new garden room or a loft extension for example. If you’re planning to have another child soon then this is something you’ll want to think about when deciding whether to buy a property or not. Over the last 2 years, many more people have started to work from home, even if only part-time – if this is you, or is something that may happen in the future then consider what work from home space you have available in a new home is a must too! Where possible you don’t want to be working from the dining table or on your lap on the sofa. If it is likely to be needed then allowing for a proper work from home space in your new home is a must! Check the outdoor space too – have you enough room for entertaining? Fireworks in November?
Budget
BudgetWe have probably all spent time browsing Rightmove or Zoopla and lusting over houses that we would love to own. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this hobby it is important to be more practical when looking at a home you want to buy. Spend some time getting your finances in order and making sure you know what you can afford is a great idea before you even start to look for houses. Not only do you want to know what you can afford with a mortgage, but also whether that changes depending on the amount of deposit you are able to put down. You might even want to look at what happens if you’re able to pay more than the minimum mortgage payment and how this would affect things. Checking out a mortgage calculator or speaking to a financial advisor is a great way to make sure that you’re making the best decision when it comes to financing a home purchase.
What Are Your Needs?
Try to think about where you live now – what are the things that you like and what are the things that you dislike? If there are things that you dislike if you could improve them in your new house what changes would you make? It is a great idea to write a list of things that you would like in your new home and things that you consider essential. Make sure you look at things like flooring, decor and even the size of the garden – because then you can check any potential homes against this list and see how many of the boxes they tick. Truthfully you probably won’t find a property that ticks all of the boxes, but at least comparing any interesting property against the same list gives you an idea of what you can get for your budget and what things you should perhaps be compromising on.
If you have any more ideas of things to check when buying a new home we’d love you to share them below.