Are you thinking about purchasing a property this year? If so, then you have two main choices. You can think about purchasing a new home on the market. Or, you could consider a fixer-upper. We think the former decision is the right choice and there are a few reasons for this.
Fewer Issues
One of the first reasons why you should buy a new home is that there are going to be fewer issues with the property. That’s important because older homes are always going to have a vast range of problems. Parts are also going to break far more quickly than you would like. For instance, you might find that you need to replace the boiler a couple of months after moving into a fixer upper. This isn’t going to be the case with a new build because – as the name suggests – everything is going to be brand new.
Location, Location, Location
Before you buy a fixer upper, it’s important to ask yourself why it has been left in a state of disrepair. The answer is usually that the owner isn’t interested in the location of the home. The location could even be a reason why the home is never going to accumulate value, regardless of what changes you make. New builds, on the other hand, are always going to be part of exciting, up and coming areas. If you want to explore properties like this, then we recommend that you do think about looking at a company like Salboy. They will be able to help you find the best new properties on the market right now.
The Modern Home
If you are buying a property that you’re going to live in – at least at first – then you should always consider what you want from the home. We imagine you are looking for a property that is going to be the perfect place to start a family. If that’s the case, then a new build will be ideal. As well as providing the right location that we mentioned, a new build will be kitted out with all the tech that you could need to make the home a dream come true.
People Like You
Finally, if you buy a new build, you’re going to be living with people who are in the same position as you. This is true whether you are starting a family, retiring, or setting into middle age. Why is this? Well, new builds attract the same type of individuals particularly if they are part of a planned development. This ultimately means that you will be living in a community that you want to be a part of and that you do feel connected to.
We hope this helps you realize some of the key reasons why you should purchase a new home rather than buying a fixer upper. While a new build is always going to be more expensive, it provides far more security in the long term and a vast range of benefits that should not be overlooked.
For the longest time, buying a home was one of those things that was just sort of treated as an expected part of life. It was up there with a career, a marriage, and all of the other things that make up the stereotypical path of someone’s life. Of course, as time has gone on these things have become less and less necessary to live a happy life but when it comes to buying a home, something else has happened. There are just as many people who would love to buy a home as before, but it’s become more and more difficult. The reality is that with house prices constantly going up and wages stagnating, many people end up feeling as though the idea of actually being able to buy a home is little more than a fantasy. But is that actually the case? Of course not! The truth is that it’s still entirely possible to buy a house, even if it’s not as easy as it once was. You’ve just got to be prepared to put in the effort to understand the process, and make sure that your finances are in the right position to do it. With that in mind, here are just a few things to consider when trying to figure out if you can afford to buy your first home.
The most obvious thing that comes to mind when people are thinking about buying their first home is the process of getting a mortgage. After all, unless you happen to be extremely lucky, you’re very likely not going to be in a position to buy a home outright. (If you are then what are you doing reading this?!) The issue for a lot of people is that the process of getting a mortgage can be rather scary and complex. After all, you often end up having to wade through stacks of paper with all kinds of confusing clauses and small print. Not only that but your success in actually applying for a mortgage can often depend on a number of factors. Before you start, it’s best to get pre-approved before you start house hunting; check out this guide for more information on managing that as it can be tricky. Using something like a home loan eligibility calculator is a great first step in checking to see what kind of mortgage you may be able to take out. That way, you can figure out any potential changes that you might need to be able to buy a home and what it could end up costing you in the long term.
The deposit
One of the biggest barriers to a lot of people’s ability to buying a home is very likely to be the deposit. For many people over the years, they’ve been able to buy a home with incredibly small deposits that made buying a home and getting a mortgage a whole lot more accessible. This is something that has become even more pronounced in the era of COVID-19. Where previous generations might have been able to get a home with a 1% or 2% deposit, there are many lenders who won’t accept less than a 10% deposit in the current era. When you combine that with the rising house prices then it’s clear that being able to afford a deposit is a much bigger challenge than before. However, just because something’s a challenge doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. The key is to start putting money aside as soon as possible. If buying a home is something that you’re really committed to then every spare bit of money that you have should be put away. Find new ways to budget to allow you to save more and every bit of extra cash that comes in should go in the pile. It isn’t necessarily going to be a fast process, but it’s the only way to really afford a deposit in the current era.
It often comes as something of a nasty surprise to a lot of people when they realise just how many fees are involved in the process of buying a home. If you’re not aware of the fees that come with buying your first home then you could end up in some serious trouble. You have to consider mortgage fees, a valuation fee, a survey fee, a potential broker fee, your solicitors fee, and a whole lot more. Now, most of the time these are things that you will be taken through at the start of the process but you need to be aware of these kinds of fees well in advance so that you don’t go into the process assuming that you can afford a home when you simply can’t.
Your credit rating
As strange as it might sound, it’s not just a matter of having the money and actually being able to afford a home, you also need to be able to demonstrate that you can afford the payments in the long term. The way that this is calculated is through your credit rating. If you have a poor credit rating then it won’t matter whether you have the money for a deposit or not. Things like paying off your credit cards on time and making any loan payments in full is the best way to ensure that your credit rating is always in the best possible shape.
The truth is, while it is absolutely possible to afford to buy your first home, it would be a mistake to assume that it’s something that’s going to be easy to do. A home is likely to be the most expensive purchase you ever make and that’s not something that you should take lightly. If you want to buy a home then you’ve got to be willing to think ahead. It’s the kind of thing that you need to plan for and make changes in your life if you want to be able to afford it. The mistake that a lot of people make is that they assume that they can’t buy a home when what they actually mean is that they can’t buy a home “right now.” By planning ahead, managing your finances, and working towards a goal, you’re going to be in a far better position to buy your first home regardless of your personal circumstances.
