Tips for Finding the Perfect Home

Finding a perfect home or the home-buying process, in general, is similar to finding an ideal partner. It may take some time, but once you find the perfect home that you want to buy, you’ll realize the need for assistance from someone who completely understands you, such as a real estate agent.

Buying your dream home is fortunately much easier than getting the ideal partner. With a little forethought and effort, you can find a home that is a good fit for you. Here are a few tips for house hunting and finding the perfect home for you.

1. Determine Your Personal Style

While you may adore artisan homes or the elegant look of a sophisticated kitchen in a penthouse apartment, you’ll be happiest if you think about what type of home will work best for you.

A single-family home provides more liberty, which is ideal if you have children or pets who require a yard to play in. However, single-family homes will require you to do the maintenance yourself whereas condominiums frequently come with affiliations that handle much of the outside servicing for you.

2. Do Your Research

You may already have an idea whether you want to live in the city, the suburbs, or the country, but neighborhood communities can vary greatly even within the same city. Begin by conducting some research to find your ideal match. Examine online real estate listings or consult with a real estate agent to walk you through different areas with homes for sale listings.

If you have the time it’s much better to personally visit potential neighborhoods in person, especially if you’re planning to move to a completely different location. Spending a Saturday afternoon driving or walking around different areas can give you a good sense of where you might want to live one day.

person planning a budget - finding the perfect home

3. Understand Your Financial Situation

It’s a good idea to get pre-approved before you start your house search. Home buyers may find the process intimidating, but it does not have to be. Finalize your budget first in order to let everything go more smoothly. To find out where you stand, check your credit score and see where you can make improvements by correcting errors or paying your bills on time. Gather proof of income, such as W2s and pay stubs. Finally, add up all the budget you have set aside for a down payment and closing costs.

4. Spend within your Means

It can be enticing to begin searching for houses at the top of your budget range once you’ve been pre-approved and know what you’re eligible to apply for, but this doesn’t always sound right. Taking on a monthly mortgage payment that is larger than what you can actually afford can rapidly taint your true love for your new home.

Instead, many experts advise using the 28/36 rule. According to those guidelines, your monthly property expenses should not surpass 28 percent of your monthly gross income, and your total monthly expenses, including housing costs, car payments, and student loans, should not exceed 36 percent of your gross monthly income.

5. Make Plans for the Future

In buying a home, visualize a long term plan. You should preferably plan on living in your new home for the next five to seven years (or longer). This can assist you in paying down your mortgage and increasing your equity.

If you intend to have children, you may require an extra bedroom or two. Do you want to start working from home? That home office will come in handy. While you don’t want to go overboard and purchase a property with five bedrooms when you’re single, you should give yourself some breathing room.

6. Look Past the Flaws

Unless you’re extremely lucky, the available home for sale won’t have everything on your wish list. In fact, there may be a few things in that house that you dislike. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of it becoming your ideal home. Remeber, you can always do minor renovations to make it suit your taste.

So look for a well-built home with the space you require, some features you enjoy, a design that suits your needs, and a price that allows you to make a few changes. This will be the home you grow to love with a little TLC.

7. Take a glance — and Then Glance Even More

Do a background check and take a closer look at the real estate property you think you want to make a proposal on. Most houses and its surroundings can look very different at different times of day. For example, you may have viewed a home on a weekday morning when everything was quiet, only to discover that the neighborhood is too noisy during the evening.

View the home at least twice, ideally at two separate times of day — for instance, on a weekday morning and again on a weekend evening — to get a good sense of what you’re getting into.

8. Familiarize Yourself with the Community

Finding the perfect home that you love is important, but in order for that love to flourish, you must also love its neighborhood – the entire community and its surrounding area. While driving in a car or walking around, do consider whether the house is in an area that matches your taste. If you are a big fan of the great outdoors and likes going for a walk, ofcourse you wouldn’t settle for a home that’s 40 miles away from the nearest trekking and jogging paths, right?

On weeknights, do you rely on a wide range of restaurants for quick takeout? Look for restaurants that are a perfect fit your taste preferences and lifestyle, ideally along your usual route between work and home.

Is the area a family-friendly neighborhood? Does the neighborhood have an excellent school district? A family with kids would ideally want a community filled with friendly and welcoming neighbors, as well as a good school for their kids.

9. Obtain a Home Inspection

Don’t be blinded by love at first sight, get a home inspection done by a licensed home inspector to prevent any unforeseen problems later. A good home inspector can tell you everything from the age of the roof, the quality of new wood floors, and possible water heater issues down the road.

10. Maintain Your Adaptability

In a reality, the ideal partner you envision may not be the person you end up with — and sometimes this is for your own good. The same is true when it comes to buying a home or finding the perfect home. You may be thrilled with a specific style of architecture or large porch, but don’t be too fixated on it and overlook the otherwise perfect house that lacks that one characteristic. Stay adaptable and be willing to compromise, and you’ll find the perfect home.

Barry Jenkins - Your Virginia Beach Realtor — Barry Jenkins, Realtor

If you are in need of an excellent real estate agent who can attend to you and your real estate needs, Barry Jenkins can be of great assistance to you in finding that perfect home you are looking for. He is a licensed realtor and has been in the industry for many years. His knowledge and expertise give him an advantage over other real estate agents in ensuring that he represents his client’s best interests in real estate transactions.