Buying Your New House

When considering purchasing a new home, it is important to consider how much you are willing to pay to afford it. It would also be beneficial to find the monthly housing cost including insurance and taxes. Buy a home that you can afford – roughly two and a half times your yearly salary. Your credit score should be clean as well. Make sure your credit card bill is in order several months before you start looking for a house. A good credit score gives you a better chance at getting a competitive mortgage.

One may want to consider how long they are staying. If you aren’t planning on staying for at least five years it doesn’t make much financial sense to buy a house. If you’re thinking of buying an old home, keep in mind the amount of home repair is likely to be much higher. Newer homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, and more be more cost-effective in the long-run. Hiring a house-inspector before purchasing can be pricey, but it could also save you from far more expensive mistakes.

Plan your location wisely – consider all possible social amenities and infrastructure such as electricity, water, roads, and stores. Even if you don’t have kids, better schools often come with better neighborhoods. Take the overall quality of houses in and around your neighborhood into your account. Check your quality of structure, water control facility, paint, roof, circuit breaker, plumbing, heating, cooling, insulation, fireplace etc. Anything you can thing that might cost you in the future – find out before you buy.