Buying a home will be one of the most significant investments of your life, and because of that, it requires an extensive process. The ultimate goal is to feel happy inside your house, but some people don’t manage to understand that in order to reach that level, a few things must be considered before actually buying the house. These things apply also for the South African real estate market, so without further a due, let’s talk about them.
1. Examine your finances
Two things must be clear from the start: what you can afford and what are your expectancies. If you’ve been a responsible person, it’s very likely that you started to work on the budget for the new house several years ago. In case you’re not in this category, a mortgage is the second option, but it should be made in a rational way and based on the income you get at the present time. You must also make sure that you have a clean credit record, so a bank will be convinced that it can take the risk and offer you the mortgage. Since you’ll be paying back the loan for 30 years, this must be a well-meditated decision.
2.Talk with a real estate agent
In case it’s the first time you buy a house and your friends don’t seem to be offering very good pieces of advice, the best thing to do is to talk with an expert. Find a real estate agent that gets good credits from his previous clients and see how he can guide you throughout the process. Most likely, he has in-depth knowledge of the housing market and a good ability to handle the paperwork. If we talk about South Africa, Chas Everitt, Ofir Eyal Bar, and Pam Golding are a few of the most reliable names.
3.Find your ideal home
After you’ve managed to find the right person, with his assistance you should start to look for your ideal home. He doesn’t know what are your priorities, so you should already have a list of the most important characteristics and requirements (location, schools for your kids, recreational areas, infrastructure, etc.)
4.Arrange a home inspection
You’re close to the end of the process and you’ve found the right house. Don’t rush and arrange a home inspection, if possible, right after heavy rain. See with your own eyes whether the house does not have any major imperfections and it complies with the pictures you’ve seen. Some the sellers tend to hide some of the unwanted things and by taking a close look yourself, this will be avoided.