***Collaborative post***
Buying a house is perhaps one of the most difficult things that you’ll ever do in your life. If you thought that you took a long time to make decisions for other things in life, then you’re going to take ten times as long when choosing a property. However, this isn’t exactly a bad thing. It’s a good idea to take your time when house hunting because it’s such a huge investment. Even if you’re loaded with money and are willing to buy a new house every few years, it still doesn’t mean you can just throw your money away at a property.
So we know that being cautious is good, but how exactly can you make this more efficient? What are there ways that you can hunt for a house yet still save a decent amount of money and time?
Work with a buyer’s agent if you can
One of the great things about working with a buyers agent is that you’ll always be pointed in the right direction. Imagine waking up and then already having your day’s goals set for the day. You know what you need to do, when you need to do it, and how to do it. You’ll always have someone guiding you and you’ll have a much easier time making those decisions. It’s an extremely good way to save money and time and you’ll often get a brilliant house at the end of it that ticks all of the right boxes.
Learning to compromise on things so you don’t spend forever searching
As picky as we want to be, there are certain situations where it’s best to make a compromise. For example, if you have certain criteria that need to be met before you’d choose a house, then you need to consider what you’re willing to let go of. For example, do you really need a garden that is a particular size? Does it absolutely have to have a larger kitchen? Are you willing to sacrifice a spare room if it means having a bigger living room for guests? There are lots of different areas of a house that you can compromise on, so we suggest making a list of priorities and deciding based on your preferences, but also your gut feelings.
Remember it’s not just about the house, but the entire community
It’s worth keeping in mind that when you pick a house, it’s not just about the property. You also need to think about the community and if it’s a place where you want your kids to grow up and you and your partner to grow old. Sure, you can kind of disregard this if you plan to move again in the future, but if that’s the case, you don’t need to spend very long picking out the perfect house. However, if you do plan to live in that property for a long time, then you need to consider outside amenities such as schools, leisure centres, shopping areas, transport, and so on.
