Homebuying

6 Things To Keep In Mind When Buying Your First Home

Homebuying doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a mystery for you to figure out — at least not all parts of it. There are hacks and insider tips that can make the process a bit more seamless for you, but it takes asking the right questions of the right people. Like, did you know that your pre-approval should be your first step and that it can take anywhere from a day to a week to get it once you have all of your paperwork at hand?

One of our amazing home buying experts, Alana Mitnick Benjamin an Associate Real Estate Broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, shed light on some other secrets you’ll want to know before you even step foot in your first open house.

Buying a semi-fixer upper doesn’t have to be a bad thing

Alana noted that one of the mountains buyers put before themselves is being committed to buying a home that meets only 100% of their wants. She suggests flowing through the homebuying process with a bit of flexibility. Whether a home requires a new kitchen or a touch up of paint, remember that certain home improvement projects may be worth the investment for the right-in-all-the-other-ways home.

Have a short list of wants

Along the same line of choosing to buy a semi-fixer upper (as long as the shoe fits) you also don’t want to buy a home that won’t fit your basic needs. You’re allowed to want a home with four bedrooms and two full baths, while still leaving yourself room to learn to love a kitchen without an island. Understanding what your non-negotiables are when you walk into the homebuying process will make it easier to understand what you definitely can’t negotiate on.

Don’t compare your home needs to those of others

No one’s home needs are the same, emphasized Alana, so trying to mirror your path to someone else’s will only lead to added stress. Nix the comparison game and instead invite positive affirmations into your home buying process. Remind yourself that everyone has a different short list of wants (as noted above) and that it’s okay because while two bedrooms may be more than enough for you, anything less than four would have been too little for your best friend.

Location, location, location

“Location is something that you cannot change,” shared Alana. Suburbit champions you prioritizing community and the town you’re going to move into just as much as you will prioritize the roof that will go over your head. You want to aim to find a town that reflects your personality and your wants and needs, whether that means a town center that is vibrant or miles of acreage around your property.

You need someone on the ground to guide you

Splitting your weekend between researching what homes to see and actually going to see them will get tiring fast. For as much as you’d like to tackle the home buying process alone, the future you will thank you for leaving some things to the experts. Finding an agent who will tag team with you on finding the perfect home / town will free up mental space so that you can focus on other important things — like pre-approval…or which products in Target’s home decor section are calling your name.

Give yourself a headstart in the buying process

If you can, Alana suggests giving yourself anywhere between 6 months to a year to find the perfect home. Allowing this much of a window will give you time to figure out what you like and what you definitely don’t want in a home.

Insider tricks and expert resources can help hold your hand through the homebuying process, so long as you let them.

Click here to connect with an expert agent that will carry you through to closing.