Listen to the 5 Things Homebuyers Should Consider article

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, or a homeowner looking to sell, buying a home can be intimidating. There are several factors to consider before starting the search for your new home, including budget!

 Other than finding a home that fits your budget, what are some things you should consider before placing a down payment?

 What to Consider When Buying a Home

 Using a Realtor

It can be a real advantage to get the help of a trusted realtor when buying a home—especially in a competitive housing market like this one. They work to understand your goals, know the area in and out, handle the price negotiations, and offer their expertise in analyzing the results of any inspections.

 Another bonus to using a realtor? The seller covers the cost of the realtor’s fee! While that may increase the overall price of the home, the cost will be included whether you use a realtor or not.

Location

Finding the perfect location for your next home is a crucial part of buying a home. The location will affect regular aspects of your life, like proximity to family and friends, your children’s school district, the place you like to eat and shop, and your commute time.

 When researching school districts for your children, use a service like greatschools.org to see academic ratings, equity standards, and demographics.

 For commuting, seeing family, and getting to and from an airport, use Google Maps to see estimated travel times during busy sections of the day. If commuting and travel carry significant costs each year, you may want to add that into the overall price of one home versus another.

 Fixer Upper or Move-In Ready

There’s a lot to consider when you’re buying a home, and that includes whether you want to do some renovations or if you want a home that’s move-in ready.

 Fixer-uppers are a great option if you’re looking to save a little money on the price of the home and don’t mind putting in the time and money to renovate. And unless you’re moving into a newly built home, chances are you’re going to be doing at least some light renovations. In fact, Raf Howery, founder and CEO of Kukun, estimates that 60% of all homes bought get remodeled to some extent.

 Move-in ready homes can make buying a home much less stressful. Homebuyers will save time and money since the home won’t need any repairs or upgrades done before moving in, and there will also be less maintenance required since you can expect all the home’s major systems to be fully functional.

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 Number of Bathrooms

Depending on the size of the home and the size of your family, you may be looking for homes that have multiple bathrooms when you’re buying a home. Some older homes may have just one bathroom, no matter the size of the house. Or you may be stuck with one shower, which isn’t feasible for most families with multiple children.

 If a home is perfect other than the number of bathrooms, you can ask your realtor what they think of adding more. You can also get the opinion of a plumber or general contractor on the cost of renovating current bathrooms or adding completely new ones.

 HVAC Systems

The heating, cooling, and fresh air systems in a home can greatly impact the level of comfort in that environment. Since you and your family will be spending years and possibly decades in your home, you want to make sure the HVAC is optimized.

 One easy area to look out for during the inspection is clogged air filters. It’s possible for homeowners who have lived in a place for a long time to forget that they need to regularly change them. But when the air filters get dirty, it’s only a matter of time until the HVAC system breaks down or needs to be replaced. It’s recommended to change standard 1-inch filters every 1–3 months and AprilAire High-Efficiency Air Filters every 6–12 months for peak performance.

 Repairs can cost hundreds of dollars, so before you agree to buy a home, have a trained inspector take a look at the ventilation, heating, air conditioning, and filtration systems to make sure they’re in good working order. Once you’re in charge of the HVAC systems in your home, consult an AprilAire Healthy Air Pro to optimize your home environment. 

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