Source: Ray White Group – https://www.raywhite.com/blog/advice-and-tips/the-five-most-costly-first-home-buyer-mistakes-2/
Like speaking your first words, graduating university or even retirement, buying your first home is a defining moment of your life and the start of a new and exciting adventure.
Make sure your first steps into the great unknown are in the right direction by avoiding the following costly mistakes.
Regardless of how much house prices are increasing, it’s essential that you don’t overextend your finances. While it may be tempting to splash out that extra 50k, you must first consider if you’ll be able to easily afford your weekly mortgage repayments. Buying at the edge of your means leaves you far more vulnerable to unexpected costs and changes in the market.
Building inspections and pest inspections are an essential part of this process.
When buying property you should never be naive or adopt a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. The magnitude of this decision necessitates that you don’t take any risks at all, and cover all your bases when it comes time to make a decision.
A building inspection will give you an experts view on the property, alerting you to any issues before you buy. A pest inspection report on the other hand, will let you know if the property has any costly pest problems to resolve. They’re indispensable tools for any property buyer.
These reports could cost around $300 to $1,000 a pop, but if they alert you to issues with the property they could save you 100 times that.
By choosing the first property you like you could miss out on the next one that you absolutely love.
Finding the first property that fits your needs is an incredibly exciting moment. You might imagine yourself walking through the halls, sleeping in the bedroom, or watching TV in the lounge. But it’s important that you don’t let your emotions take over and make a decision before considering all your options.
Use resources like Pricefinder and Residex to find neighbourhoods that might fit your price range, and talk to a local real estate agent you trust to further guide your search.
By choosing the first property you like you could miss out on the next one that you absolutely love.
The most helpful services available are mortgage brokers and real estate agents.
Young Australians are a self sufficient bunch. At a young age they move out from mum and dad’s and make their way in the world, quickly developing a fierce independence. When it comes to buying a home, however, it’s important to put this aside and get the help that you need.
You wouldn’t go it alone when it comes to your health or your education, so why should you when it comes to your finances and the roof over your head? A First Home Buyers Australia survey found that the most helpful services available are mortgage brokers and real estate agents, with 38 per cent and 25 per cent of votes respectively.
Following far behind were conveyancers and building inspectors. Get the help you need and you can be sure your decision is the right one.
Free money sounds too good to be true. State first home owners grants are one rare occasion where it’s not. However, for inexplicable reasons first home buyers often buy without the help of home buyer grants, instead relying on their own savings. Don’t make that mistake.
If you manage to avoid the above mistakes and seek the right help, there’s absolutely no reason why your first home can’t be the a step towards something great.
Is that tiny cupboard in your rental starting to drive you batty? Are you sick of struggling to close its door, while a pile of clothes and miscellaneous items teases it open from below? If you’ve answered yes to one of those questions, then chances are your rental lacks storage. … Read more
Learning the different types of home insurance cover before you buy, rather than when you need to make a claim, could save you a lot of pain and money. The range of home insurance products, packages and optional add-ons vary widely between insurers. This means you have a good chance … Read more