House hunt sounds fun. It is but it’s also pretty exhausting. No house is perfect and tailored to how you want things to be and sometimes you have to make compromises on a few things.
Browsing through and visiting several houses and apartments in one day can get overwhelming and you might forget to keep all the details in mind. But worry now, we have prepared a list for you so you can keep these things in mnid the next time you set off to buy or rent a house.
Read Also:
- It’s Vacation Time: 5 Best Places to Buy a Vacation Rental Property
- Rent To Own Furniture: Pros and Cons of Rent to Own Furniture
- Selling or Renting: What’s the Best Option for Your House?
- Why Renting Your Construction Equipment is a Good Idea
- 6 Valuable Tips for a Rental Application
- I Inherited a House! Now What?
1. Search for the Right Location
Finding the right location is a difficult yet an important task. Shabby areas do provide lower rates but at what cost? Would you want to live in a place where you’re constantly worrying about water supply and electricity and are constantly worried about the company that surrounds you?
Look for a place that’s safe, has all the facilities and is near to the market, hospital and schools. Sure that’ll cost you some extra bills but with the right research, you can find affordable options in a nice neighborhood
2. Overall Condition of the Property
If there is less repair that needs to be done then that would be profitable but investing in a property which needs a change on a larger scale is not a smart move. Hire a professional who will inspect the property thoroughly from every angle. You can compromise on small repairs but you wouldn’t want to spend a fortune on big repairs.
When you’re spending a big chunk of money, you’d want a clean and working washroom, a fully renovated and remodeled kitchen and a clean and beautiful living room.
3. Beware of the Expenses of Owning Property
When you invest in a property, there are different kinds of expenses attached to it. All you need to do is to make sure those expenses are not heavy on your pocket and remain in your budget. To get an idea, divide the expenses into two categories: Operating expenses and Capital expenses.
Operating expenses include property taxes, insurance, repairing items, vacancy costs etc.
Capital expenditures are usually big, unplanned expenses that include repairing or replacing electrical and gas appliances and dealing with the repairment issues of the house.
4. Managing Taxes
Just getting a beautiful house is not it, you also need to get into the details to see if that property is worthwhile. When you visit the site and make notes of the repairs that are needed, then you can sit down and do the money matters. Time to get the property tax and finances right!
Calculate the tax you’ll have to give on that property, weigh in the cost of repairs and if they’ll add to your house’s value and then decide if buying/renting that property is actually profitable to you.
5. Get Advice From Other Landlords
Before buying or renting a property, get in touch with other landlords and get advice from them about what to do and what not to do. This will really help you in making a right choice at the right time. First times may lead you to making decisions instantly but this will help you in doing a little research and you will consider every important point while buying your own house.
Being well informed is a plus point and basically a necessary thing because when you do not know anything about buying a house, you can fall into a trap by just looking at what you see and not looking at what lies beyond that.
6. Talking to the Neighbors
Some of the things that new homeowners should do is getting to know the neighborhood. Never forget this point especially when you’re renting a property. Talk to the neighbors, ask about the landlords, get to know how the landlords were with previous tenants. This will help you evaluate the environment of the neighborhood and you’ll be able to make informed decisions as to whether you’d want to live in this neighborhood or not.
These are some of the important things that should be kept in mind while making an investment as it is not an easy task and you save a lot of money to be able to buy you own house one day, so make sure it is worth it.
