Do's and Don'ts: Buying a House

As some of you may or may not know, Dave and I are getting ready to buy a house. We have been skimming through every MLS in utah valley, and walking through house after house. After about a month of doing this, and experiencing the full range of emotion, I thought I would give some tips and tricks in buying a house.

DO:

-Set your budget and stick to it. Your budget is everything when buying a house.

-Set your bottom lines. Set your minimum bed and bath. Is a garage a must? How much acreage must it have? How much money are you willing to put into a property?

-Be objective. How many repairs does the property need? How old is the carpet? Does the yard need work? If so, How much? Does it have a fence?

-Ask your parents opinion. Chances are your parents have been around the block a few times, and know how to look for good and bad qualities while house hunting. Ask their opinion. Take them in walk-throughs. They will have your best interest in mind.

-GET AN AGENT. I can not emphasize the importance of this enough. Get an agent. Get an agent. Get an agent. They make the process go so much smoother, and less stressful. They are your biggest advocate. And they know the business. They understand the market. AND-buyer doesn't pay the agent. The seller pays agent commissions and fees, so it's really in your best interest to have an agent. On a related note, I ADORE our agent. He has been incredible to work with. He is nice, funny, realistic, punctual, and professional. His name is Aaron Oldham. You can visit his website HERE.


Let's go over the don'ts.


DON'T

-Become overly attached to a property. I have been guilty of this with 2 homes, and both times I have been pretty disappointed when it didn't work out like I thought it would. A lot can happen when buying a house, and you need to go in emotionally prepared.

-Overlook repairs that need to happen. "Well it's not that bad..." is seriously the worst thing you can say. Repairs mean more money that you invest into the property. Water damage is no joke. Neither is electrical problems. Or smoke damage.

-Touch anything that isn't yours in a walk-through. No one wants to get sued.

-Overlook a great property because of nasty carpet or paint. Carpet is easy to replace, and a couple gallons of paint can give a property a face lift.



I wouldn't call house hunting fun, but it is a really unique and crazy adventure. Hope this helps someone!






All my love,

Alex


XOXO