Buying your first home is not only an exciting experience, but a very stressful one as well. This is particularly true if you are not as clued up on the housing market as other people. When looking at property for sale Aberdeenshire, there are many things you need to remember. To help you understand what these things are, we will discuss the main considerations you should make when looking at potential homes.
Look at Properties like Properties Not Homes
It is very important when viewing a property you are interested in for the first time that you don’t see it as a home just yet. Instead, you should see it as a property that needs to be inspected. By doing that you will prevent yourself from falling in love with it too soon, especially before you have checked whether it is good value for money or not.
Always View Properties Before You Even Consider Buying
You’d be surprised by how many, despite how much sense this makes, buy houses without viewing them. You should always view a property you are interested in as many times as you can, as this will enable you to spot problems and issues.
Check the Structure of the Property
As well as looking at the dimensions of each room, you need to also carefully inspect the property’s structure. If you spot any hairline or bigger cracks in the walls or ceilings you should ask the seller or estate agent for more information about how they happened and how serious they are.
Always Check the Neighbourhood
As you check out these homes (or any others) and the area immediately surrounding them, you should also take the time to check out the local area. Spend time walking around and visiting it at different times of the day and week. Visit during rush hour if possible and practice doing the school and work commute to see how long it takes you. If the seller or agent seems reluctant to tell you anything, you should ask local shopkeepers and neighbors about the area and what they think about it.
Keep an Open Mind
Depending on the neighborhood that you are looking in, the likelihood that you are looking around a home that is currently being lived in is high. In most cases, the occupants are either waiting for their home to sell before moving into a new one, or they are still in the market for another property themselves. Either way, it can be hard to see yourselves living in this home when it is filled with other people’s belongings.
To ensure that you don’t dismiss the property without giving it a chance, you must view each home with an open mind. Do you like the look of the kitchen but think it could do with an update? Do they have a big garden that you think would look great with a new swimming pool? If so, you can always get in touch with a local pool builder once you have moved in to help make this dream come true. The point is that certain things can be changed, so go in with an open mind. You will be glad that you did.
Beware Of Any Damp
Always be on the lookout and sniff out for dampness. Although you may not be able to see it, you will definitely be able to smell it. Often sellers cover damp spots and patches with paint so if your nostrils pick up that musky, mouldy sort of smell; there’s probably damp somewhere in the property.
Nevertheless, if a particular property has all your heart, don’t let the dampness come in between. Always remember, you could get these problems fixed by getting new windows or siding installed from companies like Infinity from Marvin (by NG Windows). It would also help enhance the overall look of that house.
Don’t let Minor Flaws Put You Off
You should always keep your feet firmly on the ground when viewing properties for sale and remain realistic. If a house seems to tick all the boxes for you, apart from some minor issues, you should not be put off from buying it. It is much more sensible to enlist the help of a professional tradesman or assessor to check the issues and quote you an estimate of how much it will take to fix them. You could then use this information to whittle the price down a bit with the seller or agent.
