There are many reasons why owning a home is a worthy goal. Some see it as a means of putting down roots, for others, it is a form of security or financial investment. No matter what the reasons are, one thing remains clear: there is a right way to go about buying a home, which increases the likelihood of the property being a good buy and the wrong way, which is fraught with hidden pitfalls.
It is only to be expected that the latter method increases the odds of more money being spent than would otherwise have been necessary. There is a second problem to be considered too – an increase in stress levels.
As exciting as the thought of owning a home is, the process entailed can be extremely stressful. In a recent study, 55% of the respondents said that buying their home was more stressful than they thought it would be.
In the home buying process, 24% found worrying about the sale going through presented their main source of stress, 22% found keeping on top of the process raised their stress level, 18% attributed their anxiety to unexpected costs, and 15% found lack of knowledge of home-buying jargon caused stress.
Common home-buying mistakes to avoid
The very first mistake is to think you can go it alone and not rely on professional help. Conveyancing solicitors Portsmouth, for example, play an instrumental role in handling the legal observations in buying a property and in the transfer of property ownership. Residential property law can be a complex area to deal with, so expert knowledge is always helpful.
The second mistake is to start a home-buying search without securing a mortgage agreement in principle. This would give you a reliable indication of what your budget is so that you can target your search in the applicable price range. An added advantage is that when you have a mortgage agreement in principle in hand, estate agents are more likely to take your interest more seriously.
Not factoring in all related costs to buying a home is a sure way to have unexpected surprises impact your budget. In addition to the price tag of the property, there are the moving costs, transfer of ownership costs, survey fees, evaluation costs and home insurance costs.
One can be easily swayed by looking at superficial details, so it is vitally important to have the expertise of a professional inspector when looking at property. You can be sure that an experienced inspector will know exactly what to look for and how to spot cover-ups.
Having the right advice and guidance is extremely important in easing stress levels when buying your first home. It is often only knowledge gained by experience that can help avoid unnecessary costs, which is why it is never a good idea to ignore the expertise of professionals.
Knowing beforehand what the home-buying process entails and what the common problems prospective buyers deal with can go a long way to alleviating stress and ensuring that you make the right decisions to guarantee a successful buy.