Finding that perfect home is a lot easier than many believe. It may take a while, but if you have a plan and stick to it you can find that dream home in New Hampshire and begin to make memories! Below are 10 tips to help you find the home of your dreams!
- Find Your Style
There are many types of homes in the Seacoast area. It’s best to take a look at the different styles in person as well as online to get a feel for them. You may think you like Cottage, but then after viewing a more contemporary house, realize you like that style more and that it better suits your needs. It is also great to consider whether you want a single-family or more of a condo. Do you want a house with a yard for the pets, possibly children, or just the privacy? or is maintenance not your thing and want something low maintenance such as a condo where the association will handle all the maintenance. But be aware condos do have fees for maintenance
- Do Your Homework
You may believe you want to live in a town like Portsmouth that has a more city feel, or prefer more of a beach setting like the Town of Hampton, or maybe Rye that is located between the two. There are many towns in the Seacoast and they are all unique in their own regards. To help find the perfect fit, or make sure it’s the perfect fit, you can start doing some research on your own. Use the Home Search feature and Google Maps to see what properties are available for what price, what their size is, where in relation they are to things you need/enjoy (i.e. Beaches or restaurants, etc.) It also helps to visit these areas in person especially if you aren’t familiar with the area.
- Finances
Before you start browsing for that dream home, it helps to get pre-approved by a lender. It can be a daunting process for homebuyers, but it doesn’t have to be. This will help you begin to get your finances in order as well as give you an idea of how much you should budget for the home. You can learn more about financing as see links for local realtors on the Home Finance page!
- Stay On Budget
Now that you are pre-approved and know how much you CAN spend on a house, doesn’t mean you should go onto Zillow and immediately start searching for homes at the top of your budget. Taking on a mortgage bigger than you feel comfortable doing can quickly take the joy out of purchasing this new home. Additionally, right now with the housing market roaring hot a lot of homes are going over the asking price, so this is a factor to consider.
- Plan For The Future
One thing a lot of people don’t take into consideration is not only what works for you now, but what will work for you in the future! smaller condos but considering having multiple kids in the next year or two, will the property still work for you and your family then?
- Not Every House Is Perfect
Unless you get very lucky many of the homes you view won’t have every item that is on your checklist. The house may not even have anything on your checklist, but this doesn’t mean it can’t become your dream home. The key is to look past some blemishes and possible missing features and fall in love with the location and structure of the home. Things can be added/changed over time but if you’ve always wanted a cottage by the sand and this matches that well then consider the costs and possibilities to make it become your dream home.
- Look Around
Once you think you have found the perfect house and you want to make an offer on it, It never hurts to take a second look. Both a home and a neighborhood can look completely different at different times of the day, or different days. For example the neighborhood may looks calm and peaceful on a Monday morning, but be the complete opposite on a Saturday night.
- Know The Area
Finding a home you love is of course the top priority, but don’t forget the location of the home is just as important. While viewing the home make sure to ask yourself does this area fit your needs. Are you an avid beach-goer but this property is 40 minutes from the beach? well although it may be the perfect house, maybe it’s worth considering something that is closer to the sand.
- Inspections
Right now in 2021 with such a competitive home market it is hard to buy a property contingent on a home inspection, however, this doesn’t mean that you can’t do one. A good realtor will know was to properly word this in a contract making sure Sellers know that the Buyer is doing this for their own informational purposes. Having an inspection done by a licensed home inspector is never a bad thing as it can make you aware of issues or potential issues with the home and what you need to do to correct them, as well as budget for them. If you follow this link Tips For A Competitive Home Offer! I explain some of the steps to take to have a competitive home offer so yours has a higher probability of being chosen.
- Be Flexible
You will likely go into your home search with a checklist of items you want. Don’t get so fixated on this checklist that you overlook other great features of the property, possibly ones you may not have even been looking for. Maybe you wanted a pool, but this home has a great backyard where a pool could eventually go, it just doesn’t have one there yet. Stay flexible, and be willing to compromise, and you’ll be sure to find your dream home. You can begin your Home Search here!
