When buying your first house, it is important not to get overwhelmed by the questions which will be asked and the information which will be thrown your way. In order to help prepare yourself, you should consider a few key things – by doing so, you will save yourself a lot of time and grief in the future.

The first thing to consider is what you actually want in a house. Are you looking for a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home for a large family, or would a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home suffice for the time being? Do you need a large yard for kids and a dog, or would a small patio with a little grass suffice for small get-togethers? Do you need new construction, or are you handy enough to make repairs if they come up in an older home?

These considerations of the house you are looking for will greatly reduce the number of houses you will actually want to see; there is no reason to look at homes which do not fit your parameters, so the more tightly you create your parameters, the more effective your house hunting will be.

Once you have the house you want down pat, it is time to consider location. Do you need to be in an urban setting, or is suburbia more your speed? Do you have to worry about schools, or are you flexible to leave your current area? Most people have an idea in mind of where they want to live, you just need to do your best to narrow it down, keeping in mind what the costs are of different communities.

Which brings us to the last major consideration: how much house can you afford? Understanding this last piece is crucial when looking at houses, as you don’t want to waste your time on houses you can’t afford, but you also don’t want to limit yourself to fixer-uppers to get into a neighborhood if you can afford something nicer.

If you are a first time home buyer and would like more information about what to consider when buying a house, or if you need a preapproval letter, please contact me and I will walk you through the process. If you have any other tips for first time home buyers, please leave a comment.