Don’t Forget About These Factors When Buying

You should keep an eye out for these four important factors when buying.

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Between the two of us, we have tons of experience showing homes to buyers. We always receive loads of questions, so today we would like to bring you four important things to look for when buying a home:

1. Location. This is the most obvious factor. However, there is more to location than typing in “nice neighborhood” online. Power lines, highways, and other variables you can’t change are important to keep in mind when buying a home. Also, you should always look up school districts and crime statistics in whatever area you consider moving to. As your agent, we can’t look up this information for you, so it’s on you to do the necessary research.

2. Quality of the lot. Drainage, size, and home location are just a few factors you should consider whenever you purchase a home. These issues may not seem important when you’re focused on the renovated bathroom, but they could have big consequences down the line. For example, if you want to add a pool or garage in the future, you need to make sure the lot can accommodate your needs.

3. Size and layout of the home. We always ask our clients, “How does the home feel?” Looking at pictures and square footage numbers online is not an accurate representation of the feel of a house. Once you begin connecting how a home feels with square footage numbers, it becomes easier to know what type of property can accommodate your needs. This connects back to our second factor as well. Maybe your home is big enough for your family right now, but if you plan on having children, the option to add an addition to your home could be a big benefit.

4. Taxes and homeowners associations. The price of the home isn’t the only cost you’ll be paying. It’s important to keep taxes and HOA fees in mind so you don’t bite off more home than you can handle.

"It’s important to look for factors that can’t be easily changed."

These are our top four things you should look for when buying, but we wanted to give you a few miscellaneous items to end with:

• Try to look past paint and carpeting in a home. Unlike our four big factors, these are easily changed.
• Don’t stress about light and plumbing fixtures. Unless you need to replace the whole house, these can be replaced for cheap.
• Outdoor space is additional living space. If a home has a nice backyard or deck, you should consider it an additional part of the home.

If you have any questions about today’s topic or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are always willing to help.