Jewish Knowhow - How to Buy a House

Nowadays it is possible for new homeowners to browse hundreds of potential houses from the comfort of their own living room before setting foot in any of them. By viewing houses online you are able to save time by only viewing houses in person that you know already have a high likelihood of being suitable for you. The Real Estate section of the Jwall is a great place to look for a potential future home. You can search by country, region and city to find houses listed by both professionals and ordinary homeowners. Regardless of whether you are searching for a house on the Jwall or elsewhere online, there are a few things to keep in mind when buying a house. When initially viewing information about the house online, have a checklist of everything you care about in a house and see if you can find information about those things on the listing. These checklist items could be things such as the size of the master bedroom, a nice spot outside, proximity to public transport, storage in the kitchen etc. If you don’t find information about these things straight away, don’t be afraid to ask the owner for more information or extra pictures of parts of the house! Selling their house is important for them, so they won’t mind putting in a bit of extra effort to get you interested in buying their property. If you are interested in a house you find online, the next step is verifying the sellers identity and organizing a house inspection. Having someone's real name and a photograph of them is a good start, so you are certain of who you are meeting at the property. It also shows the person is a legitimate seller if they can provide extra photos of the house on request, or work for a real estate company and you can find their information online. Go to the house inspection with another checklist, ask questions, write notes and take photographs yourself if they allow it so you have all the information you need when you return home to make your decision. Make sure you do your research when it comes to the price of the property. You should research the median house price on the street the house is located on, and the average house price for homes of a similar size. Once you have this information, don’t be afraid to negotiate on the asking price, but always remember to be respectful and polite. If you are serious about purchasing the house, hiring a building inspector and pest inspector is worth its weight in gold. Most people aren’t construction experts, so it’s important to get an expert in to make sure you aren’t buying something with lots of problems. Lastly make sure you check all your local requirements for legally purchasing a property. Your local government website should have all the information you need, and if you’re unsure about anything you can also ask your mortgage broker. Happy future house hunting, your dream home could be one click away on our Real Estate page!