Author: Zach Lowe
Zach Lowe is a Realtor® located in Metro Detroit, MI with Realty Executives America. For all real estate needs please contact me via email.
Everything about looking for a new house is exciting. You are looking for a new place to call home, while also making one of the most important purchases of your life! It can be an overwhelming process (especially for a first time home buyer) causing you to lose sight of the end goal: Finding your dream home. Below I have compiled a list of 5 essential home buyer tips to help determine if a particular house is right for you!
1. Ignore The Clutter
It can be hard to look at a home that is cluttered with someone else’s pictures, toys, and decorations, but try to envision the home with the seller’s stuff gone. Sometimes you will know right away whether or not the house is for you, but if you are wavering try visualizing the space with your own furniture and decorations! Don’t be afraid to talk out loud with your partner or agent about where to place the dining room table or where you would sit to watch TV.
2. Cosmetic Changes are Simple Solutions
Try not to get hung up on paint colors and decor when walking through a home. You would be amazed what a difference changing cabinet hardware can do for the look and feel of a kitchen. Always remember that painting and removing wall paper are a few of the simplest and quickest ways to transform your new home while also adding your own personal touch!
3. Love the Layout
Once you’ve blocked out the clutter and questionable wall colors, ask yourself if you like the way the house is laid out. If you love to cook but the kitchen is small and cramped, then it is probably time to move on to the next house. The house layout is one of the most important items to consider. Unless you are planning to remodel, the surroundings need to suit your living style!
4. Is it a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood?
You can pick your house, your paint colors and your furniture but, you can’t pick your neighbors. You walked through a house mid-morning on Thursday and everything seemed perfect. But now you’ve moved in and the neighbor leaves their barking dog outside all night long and your street is a cut through for local traffic. You may not always have a chance to visit the neighborhood at different times before putting in an offer, but if you can, I would highly recommend getting to your showings a few minutes early and driving around to get a feel for the neighborhood, if possible.
5. Is the Location Right For You?
This goes right along with number four. The house is perfect, but now it takes an extra 30 minutes to get to work! For some, this isn’t a huge concern but for many, it is. If you have the opportunity, drive to your potential new home from work during rush hour. At the very least, be sure to map out your route to and from work using a live traffic map. You may absolutely love your new home but if you’re spending all of your time on the road, you’ll never be able to enjoy it!
If you have any essential home buyer tips of your own please let me know in the comments! Please share this article, especially with someone you think could use it!