Now that you're ready to purchase your first home, you might want to give your realtor a break. They know that you're excited about the prospect of owning your own home. In fact, they're excited too. Your realtor wants you to find the perfect home, and they want to help you find it. They also want to make sure you're able to purchase the dream home once you find it. Unfortunately, when it comes to buying a home, simple mistakes can cost you dearly. Here are three steps you should take to avoid costly mistakes.
Don't Sweat the Small Details
You want to purchase the perfect home. If you're looking for perfection right from the start, you might be overlooking the diamond in the rough. That doesn't mean you need to purchase a real fixer-upper. It does mean that you need to stop sweating the small details. Those minor imperfections that could be easily rectified. For instance, if the carpet looks worse-for-wear, ask the owners to include new carpeting in the sell.
Don't Critique the House in Front of the Owners
While you're shopping for your new home, you're going to be taking a lot of tours. During those tours, it's important to remember that homeowners don't like to have their decorating skills critiqued. If you see things that you don't like about the décor, wait until you're in the car heading back to the office to discuss those details. The last thing you want is to lose out on your dream home because your comments upset the seller.
Don't Drag Your Feet
You've found the perfect home. Now it's just a matter of coming up with your initial offer. Once you've found the home you want to purchase, don't drag your feet on the offer. While you're mulling over your initial offer someone else might come along and submit their own. As soon as you start looking for homes, be prepared with an initial offer. This will ensure that you're ready to jump as soon as you find the right home. It's also a good idea to be ready with a potential counter-offer. Having a counter-offer in mind will allow you to act fast if you're outbid for your dream home.
Buying a home can be stressful. Unfortunately, mistakes can make the process even more stressful. Alleviate some of the stress by avoiding the mistakes described above. For questions or concerns about your home purchase, be sure to speak to your real estate broker.
