Planning to buy a home? A checklist is a handy tool if you want to make sure you’ve covered all the bases. Because of all the little things involved in the home buying process, a checklist could probably be made as long as you want. The following, however, are 10 entries that should be on every potential homeowner’s checklist:
‘Obtain a pre approval: You need this so you can refine your search and look for houses in a certain price range.
‘Create a budget based on our mortgage payment: Do this before you ever make an offer. And be as realistic as possible. You don’t want to be house poor.
‘Choose an agent who will work in our best interests: There are some unscrupulous realtors out there. Ask around, trust your intuition, and don’t be afraid to walk away if they’re not doing what they promised.
‘Develop a list of important features: Things like the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, the size of the yard, and the number of levels can all be included.
‘See several homes that have these features: Don’t jump at the first house you see. Look at a few to make sure you’re not overpaying.
‘Find out about the location of potential homes: Research the area if you are seriously considering making an offer on any home.
‘Get a home inspection: This should be considered an absolute must. It will run you a few hundred dollars, but could save you a lot of problems and stress.
‘Hire a lawyer: He or she will transfer ownership of the home and look into things like liens.
‘Save up for closing costs and other associated expenses: These will probably be more than you estimated. To be safe, try to have a few thousand dollars set aside.
‘Give notice to the landlord at our current apartment: Your landlord will probably expect at least 30 days notice. However, don’t give it until you are sure the house is yours, even if you have to pay another month of rent.
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