10 Things to Consider When Looking for a New Home

House hunting is one of the most exciting and stressful times of your life. It’s a chance for something new, something bigger and something better. But, finding that perfect place can come with a lot of anxiety as you’ll be investing a lot of time and money – plus, it’s where you’ll be living for years to come!

Knowing what to look for when buying a house doesn’t have to be stressful if you know what you’re looking for. To help you out with your hunt, we’ve put together this handy list of 10 things to look for when buying a house. Let’s get started!

Things To Know When Buying a House

Know Your Numbers

Girl working on laptop with internetBuying a house isn’t cheap, so to secure a home loan and be financially smart about your purchase, it’s always best to fully understand your budget.

By having your numbers straight, you won’t be moving into a place that you cannot afford, which can cause huge problems down the line. The first thing you should do is take a look at your credit score and see if it needs to be improved.

By sorting this out, you’ll stand a better chance of securing a good loan.

Then, save, save, save. Moving often comes with all kinds of costs that you might not have thought of, so you’ll need to be prepared for the unexpected. And, if the new place needs a little sprucing up, that will need to be budgeted for as well.

Do Your Research

If you’re buying a house for the first time, your best weapon will be knowledge. You’ll be entering a world where you’ll need to know all the ins and outs of house buying, as well as the pitfalls to avoid. For instance, you can inform yourself on how to negotiate on price, and what questions you need to ask the current owner.

You’ll also need to take a closer look at the location of the house and think about the things that you and your family will need. Are there enough schools? How about medical services or leisure areas? Think about what’s important and take it from there.

To help you out, go ahead and check out Zoom’s own moving checklist.

Be Realistic

Moving InterstateBuying a new home comes with a lot of compromises, which means you’re going to need to know your limits, and that you can’t get everything exactly as you want. It’s most likely that you’ll have to make sacrifices in some areas to stay within budget. 

To help with this, make a list of the ‘essentials’ and the ‘nice to have’s’, which will help you narrow things down in your mind to make a more sensible choice. Do you prefer a more central location? If so, you’re likely to end up with a smaller place. However, if you don’t mind being away from the hustle and bustle, you’ll find larger places – but with fewer services and transport links.

Understand the Responsibilities

Owning a house is not like renting one. If you’ve ever rented, your landlord (in good circumstances) would have taken care of maintenance issues with the property. However, if you are the owner, then it will be up to you. Things such as the utilities, doors, windows, paths, gates – everything will be up to you to fix and maintain.

This is why you need to do a full inspection of anywhere that you’re interested in. If you’re able to sport shortcomings, you may be able to negotiate a lower price.

Check Out The Area

North Sydney CityscapeYour house won’t be the only place you’ll live – the wider area will also have a significant impact on your happiness levels. Do you have kids? Then you’re going to want a school nearby. Or, if you’re a young couple living in the city, will it have all the things you’re interested in?

Before buying a house, or even going for a viewing get to know the area. You can check things out on Google maps or even take a drive to the location to see what things are like on the ground level.

Don’t Judge On First Look

Sometimes, gems need a little bit of polish to truly shine, and the same goes for a property. If a house is ticking many of your boxes but seems a little run down, this is far from a fatal flaw. Those things can always be improved with a bit of love!

Many people buy a property and intend to fix it up over time. Your home doesn’t need to be completely furnished and perfect for you to move in. Instead, you can buy the property and gradually fix it up – and once it’s in better shape, you’ll have a real gem on your hands.

Be Organised

Finding a place isn’t as easy as a quick Google. It takes quite a bit of work and it’s all too easy for things to get out hand. Put together a spreadsheet with all the places you want to see, the ones you’ve already seen and which ones are good prospects. You should also have a column for the price and any comments you might have.

The same thing goes for viewings, which will usually have to happen during working hours. Make sure you leave time off to go and see properties or you might miss out on something special.

Don’t Be Pressured

If you’re working with brokers or any other professionals that help you search for properties, things can feel a little intense. While they will have your best interests in mind, they may sometimes push you towards something you might not necessarily want. The same thing goes for the current owners as well. Remember that they are wanting to make a sale so might make things sound better than they are.

By knowing what to look for when buying a house, you’ll be able to be stronger in the face of any pressures and will be able to ask the right questions.

Think Ahead

Buying a house is a long-term commitment, so when looking around, try to think about the things you’ll need in the future as well as the present. For instance, if you’re planning to start a family, think about the number of bedrooms and other spaces that you’ll need.

The same sentiment goes for investment purposes. Is the area likely to increase in price, or are there things on the horizon that may bring it down?

Line Up Your Movers

When buying a property, don’t forget that you’re going to need help moving all of your belongings and furniture! When researching your moving company, don’t forget to look at reviews and understand the small print: otherwise, you might end up with hidden costs that’ll eat into your budget.

Instead, just shoot us a message at Zoom removals. We are highly rated on Google and have built up a great reputation for being trustworthy and affordable. Find out more about our removalist services.

So there you go! 10 things to look for when buying a house to get you off to the best possible start.

More ZOOM Reading Tips

For more tips on getting ready for a move, read our helpful articles 

Ready To Move To Your New Home? ZOOM Is Here To Help

If and when you feel ready to make a move to your new home, just remember – we offer a number of moving services to suit every move.



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