Tips for Buying Your First Home

Tips for Buying Your First Home

Becoming a homeowner is a great luxury not everyone can afford. With student loan debt at an all-time high, a saturated and competitive job market, and inflated prices, people should go into this process more thoughtfully than ever. You do not want to make any mistakes because paying off your mortgage will tie you to your home for years and years to come. So, in order to help you make your decision properly, here are a few things about your prospective home’s interior design to consider first.


Consider What Direction the Windows Are Facing

living room with a large window
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash​​

Everybody wants their homes to be bright and clean. There are a few easy ways to achieve this look. One is by making sure that your home is getting good natural light. You can measure how many hours and what amount of natural light each room gets by knowing what direction the windows are facing. South facing windows tend to get the most hours of sunlight. You can always ask your realtors or the sellers about these types of information because they should know the answers off the top of their heads. The amount of sunlight a room gets can determine what main purpose that rooms should serve. It can help you determine what kind of floor plan that room should have. It can even help you determine what kind of plants you can have inside that room.Also, it will help you determine how much artificial light you would need to compensate for lack of natural light.


Quality of Your Neighborhood

bird’s eye view of a suburban neighborhood
Photo by Tom Rumble on Unsplash​​

People say to buy worst house in the best neighborhood. This is because you can always improve the resale value of a subpar home, but you wouldn’t be able to improve the whole street. It is not your call what your neighbor’s home looks like or what kind of environment that it has. So, before you invest in a home be sure to learn more about what kind of people you will be living next to. Try to find out more about school districts, local businesses, crime rates, and local government of that area. This way, you can see whether reselling your home would be profitable in the future or not. You can try to find out about projects that the local government is planning.


Accessibility to Laundry

row of washing machines at a laundromat
Photo by Jeremy Sallee on Unsplash​​

When you live in a city, you would know that having a laundry in your building or even inside your own apartment is such a luxury. So, when looking for your new home, always keep that in mind. It's a regular task you would need to do so having it be accessible to you is always a plus. If you do not have one in your apartment, ask your building’s owner or your prospective landlord if it is possible to install your own washing machine and dryer. If not, scout the neighborhood to see if there are any good affordable laundromats and dry cleaners around.


Flooring

top view of wooden herringbone-style flooring
​​Photo by Lasse Møller on Unsplash

Good quality flooring means everything. It should be able to last you a lifetime without changing or appraising. Hardwood floors, good quality tile, or marble floors are good options. Avoid flooring that could easily be damaged. Some examples are wall-to-wall carpeting, linoleum, vinyl, and other cheap and temporary flooring types.If you want to update your flooring or make it a little bit more stylish, opt for area rugs. They are great because you can always change them for a reasonable price. There are many different styles to choose from and one is always bound to fit your personal preferences. Also, if you can always buy washable rugs so you don’t have to worry much about stains on them.


State of Utilities

blue brick wall with many tangled wires and pipes
Photo by Khara Woods on Unsplash​​

It is always important to get a place inspected before you decide to put in an offer. Your realtor should tell you this. Have the state of your utilities check. You do not want to invest in a house only to find out later that it has leaky pipes or faulty wiring. It is not only inconvenient to have to get these fixed once you've moved in, but it is also dangerous. It could result in fires, floods, electrocution, and other accidents that could be fatal. Always check for things that might not be very obvious like asbestos, mold, and other things that are harmful to your health. You can get your landlord or previous owners to fix these problems before you sign a lease or put in an offer for home.


Sound Pollution

many buildings under construction and multiple cranes
Photo by C Dustin on Unsplash​​

You could find the perfect house with everything you might want in a home but if it’s not in a pleasant neighborhood, it might not be worth it. Never underestimate the value of peace and quietness. Often times, when you're looking for places in the city, be aware of construction yards since construction is everywhere. So, you might be hard-pressed to find a place where there isn’t a new building being put up and you might have to deal with some noise pollution. However, always try to consider the times in which they hold this construction. Is it compatible with your work life? If construction is held while you’re in the office, it might not matter to you that much. However, if you work from home or if they do construction at night, it becomes a big problem. For families with children or pets, it could mean keeping them awake and that, in turn, will also keep you awake. Know how important resting is and never settle for a place where you can't get it.


Air Quality

aerial view of factories with smoke coming out
Photo by Marcin Jozwiak on Unsplash​​

Bad air quality can be detrimental to everyone's health. Be wary of this, especially if you have small children. Sometimes air purifiers or house plants are not enough to make up for an area’s poor air quality. One way you can determine whether a neighborhood has fresh air is if there are plenty of trees around. Try to avoid places where there are nearby factories, landfills, and other places that produce a lot of smoke and airborne chemicals.

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