Look at the house in the evening
It is easy to get swept up by a lovely looking house in the middle of a summer’s day, when the house has been dressed up perfectly. We advise that you check out the neighborhood outside of normal visiting hours though. This will give a full impression of what the house will be like to live in, and the type of people that may be your neighbors.
You should also think about walking around the local area, including shops and parks. Something like a nearby wood or a playground to take your children might be a key decider between several similar properties, explains Keyrenter Premier Management Team.
You can also check the local government’s website to see if there are any significant renovations or building works planned. This may be negative or positive. If a new supermarket is opening only a few blocks away this may be the perfect house for you in just a year’s time. On the other hand, if you find that a significant construction project is starting right next to the building which will stop you from sleeping for the next year, it may be worth reconsidering.
Take pics
Linked to our first tip, after you’ve looked around a dozen or more houses it’s easy for them all to merge into one and to forget the key features of each. By taking pictures, especially of the outside of the house first followed by the rooms you’ll be far more likely to remember it. This also makes comparing the houses you’ve looked at after browsing in person much easier. By being able to compare each housing side by side, rather than in isolation, it will become clear which ones you prefer.
Research what your offer should be
Checking how much houses in the local area have sold for recently is a good way to get a clear ballpark of how much you should be offering. This will also tell you if the price is being overvalued, and that you have some room to bargain, or that if it is below the normal market price. This may be a bargain, but may also be a red flag, and a reason to do a bit more digging into the history of the property to find out why it is so cheap.
See if you can get the house removed from the market
Once you have found a house that you love, and you have decided on how much to offer, ask the seller to take the house off the market. This will ensure that no one else can swoop in at the last second and offer a higher price, potentially resulting in disappointment.
Use people with experience.
There are several steps to consider one your offer has been accepted. We highly recommend using a professional like this one if you are a Texas based homebuyer with plenty of experience to take care of the legal parts of the purchase, as well as the survey arrangements and removals arrangements. Home cover is also something you should definitely invest into if you are interested in moving home.
Buying a house is a dream for many of us. However, when you start looking for that first property you quickly realised there’s no shortage of things to be wary of. From ensuring the plumbing’s in good nick, through to making sure the house has no restrictive covenants, there are several areas you may not know to look for, especially if you’re new to the process. The below infographic by Lawsure insurance collates 9 lesser known things to look for when buying a house, to make sure you ask all the right questions before it’s too late.
