Finding the right house can be a daunting task for the first-time home buyers. They are just fathoming the unknown waters when they are out to buying a home for the first time. A home buyer may have a number of expectations from the property and, if put simply, the property that meets all those expectations is the right one. But, just looking at the home features or colour of the walls is not going to land a home buyer at the most perfect address. Therefore, it is advisable to consider choosing a house checklist and match its items with the features of the property. With the help of choosing a house checklist, one can arrive upon a no-nonsense way of finding the right house to buy.
Choosing a house checklist for the right house to buy should comprise of contents like:
- Budget
- Location
- Property size
- Features and amenities
- Availability of energy-saving solutions
- Future growth of property
- Vibes when you enter various parts of the house
- Neighborhood
- Scope for expansion, etc
The first-time home buyers are enthusiastic, no doubt about it! But, the cautious approach is surely going to pay well. So, here is a point wise explanation of the various must-have features that can help a buyer know if his purchase is perfect or not.
Budget
Any property has to be within budget, of course! Some loan companies may entice the buyers into going for options which are certainly not suitable in the long run. EMI size, if taking away the major chunk of the monthly income, is rather a cautious sign and clearly tells whether the property is meant for you or not. Keep in consideration, the total salary you would get and how much would you allocate towards the interest on the home loan and other EMI’s.
Three crucial things to keep in mind are
1. Down payment – Expert financial planners consider this to be about 20% of the cost of the house.
2. Savings – While you may save money for the down payment, an alternate savings pool to fund other essentials like children’s education, medical emergencies, retirement fund and other emergencies is essential.
3. Budget for the house – The cost of the EMI’s should not include more than 40%of your take-home salary.
Proximity from the workplace and schools, civic utilities, good physical and social infrastructure, convenience stores at proximity and reliable transportation connectivity are a few important factors while choosing the right house to buy. These facilities help family members manage different everyday chores on their own and all can have independence without depending upon only one member.
Property Size and Type
If budget is not the problem, sky is the limit for choosing the property size and type. But, decent accommodation is one that offers a quality life to its inhabitants. It should never look overstuffed with home décor solutions and should emanate good vibes. Also, it should not be big enough to make inhabitants feel eerie or in want of stuff to fill the space. Right property can be chosen by understanding the lifestyle goals, family goals, type of space and neighbourhood required. Whether an apartment, villa, villament, plot for future own construction, gated community, society living or independent house. Decisions should be made keeping in mind the kind of environment you would like to live in the long-run.
Features and Amenities
If it is community living concept, then amenities like dedicated parking space, play area for kids, party area, club-house, spacious balconies and other storage solutions, green and sustainability features, whether it is pet-friendly, senior-citizens friendly etc. can help you understand if you have reached your dream home or not and whether it is the right house to buy. Water supply and electricity, proper drainage system, ventilation, privacy, good washroom and other features help in knowing the goodness of the decision regarding the property in all possible ways.
Returns on the Investment in Future
Buying a house on finance is quite a common thing. So, when the cost of the house is to be calculated, the amount paid in the form of interest on the loan should also be considered. Appreciation of property price in coming times is also a factor that can help understand if the house bought is truly an asset or not. Sometimes, people use the property as source of rental income, and so, the house that can fetch good amount of rent is certainly the right property decision.
Neighborhood
Quite similar to the locality point, the closeness with nature, prevalence of business centers, shopping malls, healthcare centers, and other commercially important sites in neighborhood or the proposal for development of such sites in future make a property worth buying in two ways. First, if the location has all these features, it does make life enjoyable. And second, the price of property will certainly get the boost if such infrastructural developments in the surroundings are on the card. So, you can enjoy living in your home better and can also hope to earn back fabulous returns in the future.
Scope for expansion
Expansion can be in terms of adding the room to the current house structure, and it can also be in terms of creating more room off the given space. If the first-time home buyers are family persons, they have to make arrangements for the growing needs; the house that is instrumental in making all such arrangements possible is certainly the most suitable one.
Vibes from the home
When you have done your research on all the points mentioned above, it is time to feel the house. How does it feel when you enter the house, or is it interesting enough to motivate you to live in it? The answer to this question is the actual answer to your query whether your purchase is the right one or not. The owner can visualize the future life, is encouraged to chalk down plans for its maintenance and beautification and above all, is eager to come back to it again and again. All these beautiful feelings do tell you that your house is simply outstanding in every way possible and is destined to be your partner in the life’s journey.
Even before all this, you should be cautious enough to check the track record of the builder, the presence of clear title of ownership, property papers, status of previous encumbrances, loan liability and other legal issues surrounding the property.
Thus, evaluating the needs and matching them with the features and making essential checks collectively make it a practical and fool-proof way of finding the right house to buy.
