Choosing Right – 5 Tips for First-time Homebuyers
Choosing Right – 5 Tips for First-time Homebuyers
If you’re looking for a new home for you and your family, the prospects are certainly bringing a lot of excitement and their share of stress and confusion. For most people, buying a house is the biggest investment in a lifetime. So, in order to pull it right, you need to find the right property. Here’s what you should know. Choosing right- 5 tips for first-time homebuyers.
1. The build quality
The home you bay needs to be in a decent condition, especially regarding the structural safety of the building. While your real estate agent probably means no harm, don’t take their word for it but hire an independent building inspector to check the whole structure and give you their professional opinion.
They should also check fittings and insulation. Building quality issues can be deal-breakers, but if you’re ready to invest thousands of dollars into initial repairs, you should at least know what you’re buying.
2. The number and layout of rooms
Apart from the number of functional bedrooms and bathroom you need to evaluate their configuration. While this may sound superfluous, moving into a bedroom that is next to a living room with a TV you risk a lot of sleepless nights. In the same way, having a bedroom for an elderly parent on a different floor from the bathroom might make finding the way in the night difficult. The room orientation also plays a big role, as those facing west are known to get hot during the day, so if you live in a region that is already warm like Florida or Australia, go for a home orientation that minimises the solar exposure in the summer.
3. Research the neighbourhood
If you already live in a township where you’re hunting for a home, you have a bit of an advantage, but don’t make any assumptions until you’ve done your homework. Ideally, you’re looking for an area that has low crime and good transit but also offers easy access to great schools and walkable distance to family-friendly amenities, which is becoming a problem in big cities such as Sydney. It shouldn’t surprise then that Rohan’s Run house and land packages in Austral are considered among the best real estate opportunities in the wider city area. This suburb on the rise is just minutes away from larger suburbs and SW Sydney’s major city district, with local schools, shopping, and amenities within easy reach.
4. Insist on natural light
While in the era of energy-efficient LEDs and a range of artificial lighting options natural light might come as a secondary concern, insufficient sunlight can significantly affect the way you feel in your new home.
Although many future homeowners overlook natural light capabilities when inspecting a property, don’t let your first day in the new home be a gloomy one. Sure, you can always add more windows, skylights, and even light tubes, but it’s better to find a property that already has these in place.
5. Don’t forget the outdoor space
An abundance of outdoor space that can be filled with greenery is a big plus, even if the backyard looks barren and neglected. If you have kids, a big yard will allow them to get sporty, but if it’s sloping to one side, it’ll ruin their sporting plans in an instant. While you can hire an excavator and grade the soil, make sure to evaluate your outdoor needs before going for a property.
When it comes to such a big investment as a home, make sure to ask a lot of questions as you’re narrowing down your list of choices. Apart from knowing who the previous owners were, and what renovations they’ve done, inquire about the council development plans for the area.
Featured Photo by Ralph Kayden on Unsplash
