Top Tips for Homebuyers

Ten things to consider when buying a home

We all want to have the house of our dreams. However, there are a few critical points that we should pay attention to when we decide to buy a home.

In this article, we have compiled 10 things you should consider when buying a new home.

House Budget

If you want to buy a home, the first thing you need to do is determine your budget. By making a budget calculation, you can narrow your search for housing and find the home you are looking for much more easily. If you calculate your own budget, you can understand from the beginning how much flexibility you can provide according to the market forces. Calculating how much loan you can take from each bank and how much deposit you can give will also speed up your purchasing process.

Loan Interest Rates Comparison

Whilst calculating the budget, if you have decided to take out a loan, you should research all options very carefully. You should research the interest rates and contract details of all the banks from which you can take a loan, for the amount you want. After comparing the rates and making your decision, you can start looking for the home of your dreams.

Considering the Details

It is important to consider all the details when purchasing. Don't let the small features of the house overwhelm you. Don't fall in love with a home that has only one of the criteria you set, but also remember that you might have to make some compromises. Review all the details such as the location of the house, its surrounding areas, common living areas, dues, physical features and infrastructures. For example, don't let the home with your dream American style kitchen, draw you in. Consider the other details as well; e.g.. what is the ceiling height, is its width suitable for you, how many rooms does it have, on which side is it located to maximise sunshine levels or minimise them, does it have a balcony or terrace? In this way, you will make better choices examining all the details and comparing it against other houses you look at. Talk to others including your family about the type of home you can see yourselves living in.

Location, location, location!

Another issue to consider when looking for the home of your dreams is the location of the building. It's important to research the distance to your work or school, what public transport links are available, what hospitals or medical facilities are in the vicinity and the social opportunities you want: shops, cinemas or theatres, cafes and restaurants. You can search very easily online by listing this information according to your criteria. You should consider and decide what you want in detail so that you do not encounter any unwanted surprises after you've made your purchase.

Market Research and Benchmarking

Another element to consider before making a purchase is to conduct market research. Making a detailed comparison of the houses with the features you want to buy will bring much better results. Whilst preparing the list, it may be useful to consider the features that you are prepared to give up or compromise on depending on the situation. By comparing, you could eliminate questions in your mind and make a much more efficient purchase in terms of price-performance. In addition to these, you should also choose the company you will buy from. You should ensure that there is no doubt in your mind by examining the company and official documents in detail.

Company Dependability

One of the most important issues in the house purchasing process is to ask yourself how reliable is the Company I'm purchasing from? This is especially true if you are going to buy an apartment from a brand new building and in this case you should thoroughly research the Company that owns the building. In this way, you will have an idea about how they can assist you in any issues that may arise. While researching the Company, you should definitely look at their previous projects, if there are any. It will be very useful to consider what other homeowners may say about the them. This will give you an understanding of how they experienced the Company and the house purchasing system. It will also be useful for you to evaluate the issues such as: what problems the Landlords faced and how these problems were resolved. At the point that you decide to buy the house/apartment, going to the Company and talking through all the details will ensure a much smoother process for everyone involved.

Earthquake Resistance

This element is very important and should not be ignored. Make sure the house or apartment that you are purchasing is built in accordance to earthquake regulations. It is possible to learn whether the building is earthquake resistant by requesting earthquake regulation reports from the building inspection company. Soil survey is a study to determine how much load the land on which the building is built on, can carry. You can have the information about this subject by requesting a copy of this study, which is reported to the relevant authorities by the contractor of the project.

Visit the Property

The building or house should be seen before purchasing where at all possible. In fact, it would be much more beneficial to talk to the person or Company that made the house sale directly.Thus, any problems that may arise are prevented early on and all details about the house and sales transactions are resolved easily. If the building is still under construction, you should examine site planning or similar documents in detail and seek help from a knowledgeable person. If there are not enough references and there are points that leave you with doubt in your mind then you should really consider thoroughly whether this is the right property for you.

Facade and Insulation

Facade selection is also one of the factors that should be considered when buying a home. By choosing the right facade, you can benefit from sunlight more and save money especially in terms of heating bills. Although heat and sound insulation purchasing is your choice, they are features which should not be underestimated . Thanks to extra thermal insulation, you can reduce or even eliminate huge bills. Apart from this, in accordance with the 'Regulation on the Protection of Buildings from Fire', it is of great importance that the facades of the buildings have fire resistance properties specified in the regulation, according to the number of floors. In buildings where this insulation is not at required levels, you could face devastating consequences if a fire occurs. So before buying the property, you should get information from the contractor about how and how much protection these insulation materials provide against fire.

Sales Agreement

After considering all the above points, finally, you have found your dream home and have decided to buy it. While making the purchase, the buyer and the seller must draw up a sales contract and sign it in the presence of a public notary. Thanks to this contract, any loss of money or rights is prevented. In addition, a contract covering the commitments and wishes of both parties must be signed in front of the land registry office, stating that the determined price of the house will be paid by the seller. After the signatures are signed, the transfer process takes place.

Although buying a property can be a long and stressful journey, if you follow our advice it can make this adventure truly fulfilling and simple and soon you will have the home of your dreams!