Searching For A New Home

When searching for a home there are two things to consider, firstly you will need to find out how big a mortgage you can afford, then you know your price bracket.
After that stage is complete you can then start searching for your dream home.
Please note that your mortgage amount will depend on your earnings, the size of deposit you have and any other equity you may have.

When you have your mortgage pre approved you can start to search for a home between your price bracket, if you have a mortgage of 100,000 to 150,000 then limit your search to that range.

Another good way to search is to find streets or neighborhoods that you like and see if any homes in those area are for sale, if you see one you like then compare it to your mortgage price range, you may be able to ask for a small price.
It’s a good idea when you are looking at new homes to take a list of items to check while you are viewing the property, you may want to take a tape measure to check room sizes or measure floor areas to work out how much a new wooden floor would cost etc.
Below we have added a list of common check items when viewing a new home.

Quality of structure and foundation
Size of living area
Size of lot and yard areas
Quality and type of flooring
Grading of lot and soil quality
Number of bedrooms/bathrooms
Quality and age of fixtures
Garage and storage area size
Ventilation and lighting
Quality and age of insulation

We have also listed the most common neighborhood checks that can be helpful:

Property values (average sale price)
Zoning ordinances
Crime rate and crime reduction efforts
Proximity and quality of schools
Proximity and quality of services
Commute distance and time

If you are unable to find your dream home there are other options you can try to find the correct property for you.

• Home listing or relocation services. The internet is fast becoming the best place to find a new home to view, you can search many places in one session.
  
  
• Real estate agents or brokers. Once again you can visit these shops in your local area or visit them on the internet as they should all have web sites with listings of places for sale.
  
  
• Personal references. You could ask your friends or co workers if they have seen any homes for sale of to keep their eyes peeled for them.
  
  
• Newspapers. There are some good news papers out there that list homes for sale, your local free paper can be one of the best places to look.

Next Topic: Negotiating a lower price