Entering the big world of Real Estate can be an incredibly overwhelming and super exciting time for anyone! We were blessed by having family and friends who were able to walk us through the process, which made it a little less terrifying. I wanted to share with you a few little tips and tricks that we learned along the way.
- Meet with your financial planner, bank, parent or Mr. Excel and really hammer out your budget. Keep in mind the closing costs, any renos you want to do right away, moving expenses (including boxes, tape, packing paper, pizza, movers, days off work). Some people like to change the locks when they move in, so price that out.
- Get a real estate agent you trust. DO NOT work with the selling agent. Just don’t. Ask friends and family for recommendations and then do some sleuthing online. Don’t sign anything until you are sure you are comfortable with your agent and that they respect your budget and parameters.
- Find a lawyer. You will need them for closing.
- Don’t feel rushed into buying a place. TV tells us that we should be able to choose after seeing three houses, but that’s just not true.
- Don’t skip the home inspection. Unless you are a contractor with good knowledge of building code, don’t skip this. It is so worth it. Trust me. We walked away from two houses that we LOVED because we discovered over 100k worth of issues during home inspections that needed to be done just to make the houses safe and functional.
- Make a list of what you NEED in a house, what you’d like to have but can live without and then talk to your agent. You may not have a realistic list for your budget. They can talk you through this. It can suck really bad to hear that you can’t afford the house you grew up in, or even a tiny one bedroom in the area that you want, but that’s life kiddo. It’s better to be in the know so that you can make a decision about moving forward.
- Having a hard time making your Must Have list? Think about how you live. Do you take a bath every night? Having a soaker tub may be a good thing to add. Don’t have a car, but would like one in a year or two? Look into parking even if you don’t need it right now.
- Balance your gut with your brain. If a house ticks all the boxes, but doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right.
- Look at the neighbours and the neighbourhood. Is there light? Are the houses and lawns maintained? Do you hate gardening? If so, you may not want to buy in a super groomed row of houses.That said, you probably don’t want to live next door to the hoarder with the 15 rusted cars beside the playstructure your kids will be using.
- Be real with yourself. Don’t buy to impress anyone but you and don’t get stuck on the things you can change. Hate the floors? You can fix that. Hate the wallpaper? Take it down. Think you can handle a fixer upper but have no skills? Make sure you have the time and the budget to hire if you get in over your head.
- Are you moving from your parents place or from a shared apartment? Factor in the cost of having your own set of cleaning supplies, shower curtain and other bathroom stuff (bath mat, small garbage can, a soap holder), a plunger (for the love of all that is holy, do not forget to buy a plunger). Other things that you might need that you didn’t have before: Microwave, toaster, coffee maker, kettle, iron and ironing board, hangers, lamps, cookware, Definitely have a small home tool kit, for those basic fixes.
- Remember that this isn’t a race. Most people don’t go from closing to OMG THE PERFECT HOUSE in seconds. It’s a process. Honestly, I recommend living in the space with your hand-me-downs for a bit before racing out and buying new stuff. You want to get a feel for how your new place works and what needs aren’t being met by what you have.
“Do you like my chairs? They are the only furniture I have.”
- No one expects you to be Sarah Richardson with an insane budget. Make your house functional and then start working on making it home.
- Take advantage of the free classes offered by places like Home Depot. Learn to fix things on your own so that you can save your hard earned cash for Big Issues (like electrical. Don’t touch electrical) or for pretty things (mmmm, custom light fixtures).
- Educate yourself on your home. Does it have a septic system? Learn about that.
I hope you found this helpful. For those of you who have already been through this, what tip or trick do you wish you had known before buying your first place? Thanks to Urban Compass for asking me to be involved in Starter Stories. Check them out for more inspiration!
In Among the Heather 