Homeownership is one of the most important milestones in adulthood. Homeownership comes with many responsibilities. I know from person experience. Here are some tips that will help you along the way.
Realtors
One of the most useful tools when looking for a new home is the realtor. However, you need to make sure your realtor is experienced. A bad realtor can make looking for your new home a nightmare. I know from personal experience. My husband and I did not research the realtors in our area. We just simply picked one at random. This realtor was inexperienced and took us to houses that did not fit our needs. After six months of looking and not finding a suitable home, we did our research and found a new realtor. We found our new home in two weeks.
Finances
The most important factor in finding a new home is money. Your finances need to be in order before starting the search for a new home. These very important steps cannot be overlooked:
1. Set a limit. By setting a limit you know what you can and cannot afford. This ensures that you are not wasting your time looking at homes that are out of your price range.
2. Apply for a loan. After you have set a limit, apply for a loan. When you are filling out the loan paper work, you will need to know the exact amount you want to borrow.
3. Set an easy to follow budget. After you have taken out your loan and set a limit, you will need to create an easy to follow budget. This budget should include your mortgage, homeowners insurance and monthly expenses.
My husband and I started looking at homes before we set our limit. We missed this important step, Our hopes were set too high. We were looking at homes outside our price range. As a result, the homes we could afford did not meet our expectations.
Home Improvement
Home improvement can be expensive. DIY projects are the way to go! If you know what you are doing, that is. Here are three very important things to keep in mind while completing your DIY projects:
1. Turn off all sources of water. My husband and I put a new shower in our mater bath. We forgot to turn off the water. One of the pipes busted and sprayed water every where. The fix and clean up pushed our renovation back two days.
2. Turn off all sources of power. We decided to put dimmers on all the light switches in our house. We forgot to turn off the power to the kitchen. When my husband went to install the dimmer, he shocked himself and blew a fuse!
3. Label, label, label. I decided to repaint all the door frames in our new home. I carefully took the pieces off, then sanded and painted them. After they had dried, I was ready to put the door frames back together. Much to my annoyance, I discovered that I had not labeled where each piece went. It took me five very stressful hours to get all the boards in the correct places.
Before you embark on your homeownership adventure, make sure you have an experienced realtor, a set financial plan, and educate yourself before completing any DIY projects. Doing so will save you time and stress.
