According to the National Association of Realtors, 37 percent of those who sell their current homes do so because they have outgrown them. Whether your two children share a tiny bedroom, toys are always on the floor because you have no room for them, or a child is on the way, you need a bigger room. When it is time to move, here are the steps to find the perfect home:
1. What’s Your Budget?
Oftentimes, home buyers get excited about finding a new home and forget that they need to get preapproval for a mortgage before they start searching for a home. Homes are available for different budgets, and your finances will determine where you start your search.
If you opt for a mortgage, it is important to understand how much you can afford to borrow and how much you qualify for. Once you get pre-approved, you can start home searching. All you need to do is provide the lender with your financial statements and personal information for them to decide how much you qualify for.
2. List Your Priorities
Besides extra rooms, what kind of home are you looking for? Your budget may not allow you to buy the home of your dreams. However, which home features are you willing to live without, and which do you need the most. For instance, if you are searching for new houses for sale in Ottawa, you will come across homes of different sizes, styles, and in different locations. To this end, before you step out to search for a home, list the following down:
- Number of rooms you need
- Number of bedrooms you need
- Number of bathrooms needed
- The size of each rooms depending on your needs
- The location of the home
- Size of the yard
- Any other amenities and features you need in a room
When you know what you need and what you are willing to give up, use Better Homes and Garden’s Signature Service, Ssbhg.ca to make your search a lot easier.
3. The Location Matters
While you need to check nearness to amenities and workplaces, it is more important to choose a neighborhood that is friendly to your children and their social life. A family-oriented neighborhood is the best for your growing family. Look for an area with playgrounds and parks where children can play. The presence of playgrounds and parks shows that there are so many other kids in the area – which is a great thing for the social life of your kids.
You can use Google maps to choose the ideal location for a home. Check the location of schools, your workplace, gyms, shopping malls, doctor’s offices, library, daycare, and any other amenity you need often. In most cases, parents choose to be closer to schools than their work.
You also need to consider the safety of the neighborhood. Before you buy, you need to walk down the street. Check the conditions of the houses and the friendliness of the neighbors. You can also search for the crime rate of the area online just to be sure you are moving into the right location.
4. Consider Storage
As your home grows, so do the stuff that you have. You might already have bikes and scooters and so many other recreational gear. If you do not have them yet, you might have them in future. Ergo, you need to consider storage space in your new home. When shopping for the new home, consider the gear you already have and how much space it will take and then search for a room that will suffice your needs. Your gardening tools and equipment will take a lot of space in your home, and you do not want to clutter your garage with all those items.
Your timeline matters when you are searching for a bigger home. Maybe you need to sell your current home before buying a new one, or you need to buy a home before the next child arrives. Planning early will save you the stress of searching for a home in a hurry. Start searching early so you’ll have enough time to consider your options.
Conclusion
A good real estate agent will help you search for a home fast. Although you can search for a home online, working with an agent will make the process faster and smoother. Ensure the agent is licensed and insured.
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