All parents want to make sure they find and purchase the perfect family home for their families. If that’s something you’re thinking about at the moment, take a minute or two to read this post and put some of the advice into action.
There are lots of things to consider when selecting the perfect family home, and this article should help to cover the basics. At the end of the day, choosing the wrong property could mean you have to deal with the stress of moving time and time again, and nobody wants that.
So, learn from the tips below, and keep them in the back of your mind when searching for the right residence for your family.
5 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Family Home
1. Choose the best location
The location you select is everything when it comes to choosing a family home. Most people conduct a lot of research before making their final decision, and you should too! There are many things to consider. You might want to think about:
- Making sure there are decent schools in the area
- Making sure the city or town has low crime rates
- Making sure there are lots of activities and sights
You can find all the information you need for choosing the right location online. Local authorities publish details about crime rates, and so you should have no issue selecting a safe area for your family. You can also find out information about school league tables and such. So, all you need to do is put everything together and make an informed decision.
2. Choose the best property type
The next thing you need to do is think about the right type of property for your family. Are you a couple with a small child? You might want to purchase an apartment or something similar. Are you a mother and father with 2.4 children? Then you’ll probably want to take a look at houses or something a little larger.
The type of property you require might also have an impact on the areas you can live and the amount you have to spend. So, be sure to consider this factor at every stage of the decision-making process.
Perhaps you have a family member with a mobility issue, and so you need to purchase a home that only has one floor? Regardless of your requirements and criteria, conducting some research will help you to make sure you don’t regret your decision.
3. Set your budget
When it comes to working out how much you can afford to spend on your new family home, there are lots of things you need to take into consideration. The last thing you want is to end up with a mortgage that will leave you unable to put food on the table at the end of each week. So, do yourself a favor and use something like the HDB loan calculator to check your affordability. Calculators like that will let you know how much you can afford.
When you have a budget, you can start taking a look at the market to get a feel for the type of homes you can afford. Of course, you should always aim to spend less than the top end of your budget if it’s possible. That way, you won’t stretch your finances quite as much.
You can also decrease the size of your mortgage or increase your budget by keeping lots of savings in the bank. So, if you’re thinking about buying the perfect family home now, there has never been a better time to start putting some cash away.
4. Negotiate the best price
When it comes to negotiating the best price for your new family home, there are a few tricks you can keep up your sleeve. Make sure you always go into the negotiations with a maximum price in your mind. No matter what happens, you should never go beyond this amount when making offers.
In most instances, it makes sense to offer around 15% less than the asking price for the family home you select. You should then let the seller negotiate until your offer is around 10% less than the asking price. At this stage, it should be possible to convince the seller to make a deal.
You can also put the entire job in the hands of the professionals if that all sounds a little too stressful. There are real estate brokers out there who will negotiate on your family’s behalf for a small fee.
5. Think about extension possibilities
Lots of families also take a moment or two to think about extension and conversion possibilities when buying the perfect home. You probably want to stay in the house for many years, but you never know when your family will expand, or you’ll need more space. So, try to buy a place you can potentially expand and improve in the future.
Not only will that give you more space, but it will also mean you increase the property value and make a tidy profit when you eventually decide to sell. That might not be until the kids grow up and go to university, but it’s still something to think about.
You could use the extra space in a converted attic or extension building as an extra bedroom, a games room, a cinema room, or anything you like! The only limits are set by your imagination. Look for properties with land at the side of the house and the rear if you think you might want to expand in the future.
Well, you should now find yourself in the ideal position for choosing the perfect home for your growing family. Use the tips and advice from this article to make sure you leave no stone unturned in your search for the best properties on the market. Remember to think about crime rates and local schools, and try to find somewhere with decent public transport links so your kids can get around and make friends. No matter where you live in the world, the same rules should apply. Following them should guarantee you avoid mistakes and move into a beautiful home as soon as possible. See you next time!
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