First Time Homeowners: 3 Factors That Shouldn’t Be Negotiated

Buying real estate for the first time can be a very daunting task. There’s just so much that you need to know to make sure that you’ll get a good deal or at least get your money’s worth.

You’ll need to learn how to choose the right people to help you; you need to review the basics of Canadian mortgage laws, and tons of other things that can help ensure that you’ll make a sound decision. It’s not easy and it can get frustrating, especially if you tend to get easily overwhelmed.

What you need to know, however, is that there are tricks that can make things a bit easier for you. By establishing your non-negotiables, you can set some parameters in your search for your first property. These can make the process simpler as you don’t have to go back and forth on some points that you can already decide on even before you start going to open houses.

What are these non-negotiables? Here are three that most homebuyers add in their lists:

Home inspection

A lot of people think that they don’t need a professional to inspect the house they’re planning to buy. Some think that their personal inspection will already suffice and that it’s unnecessary to spend money on professional services of the sort.

Unfortunately, this can’t be farther from the truth. A lot of first-time buyers don’t know what to look for when inspecting a property for purchase. There could be a lot of things that your untrained eyes can miss no matter how much online research you did.

So to make sure that you won’t end up with a property that comes with a lot of structural issues, invest in a professional inspection service. It’s better to be safe than sorry when buying your first real estate property.

Budget

Having a ‘fluid’ budget is one of the biggest mistakes first-time homebuyers make. This is especially true if they’re not financially savvy enough.

If there’s one thing that you have to keep in mind when buying a property, it should be that it’s a commitment and not just a simple purchase. The large sum of money involved in the process is something you shouldn’t take lightly. A costly mistake can hurt your finances and leave you struggling.

This is why it’s crucial that you create a good budget for your home purchase and that you stick with it. If there’s a property that’s just a bit beyond your budget, it’s best to haggle for the property than overextend. And if you really need to spend more than what you’ve allotted for the purchase, it’s important to do the math first. Know if you can really afford it without having to sacrifice other things and if you’re willing to do so.

Reliable vendors

When you’re buying a house, you would need to hire a couple of professionals to help you out. This can add up to your costs so some people like to skimp or skip them altogether. While experienced buyers might not find any problems in doing that, it’s not a very good idea for first-timers.

Research might be able to help you out but it might not be enough to help you make the best decisions about such a big purchase. So if you want to make sure to make the most out of your money, hiring professionals is always recommended.

These are just a few of the things that you shouldn’t go without when buying a house for the first time. You can further expand this list to help you handle the process easier and even get the best results.