What to expect when you’re inspecting!
Once you have your budget set and your pre-approval, let the house hunting begin. We speak to Mark Stafford, Partner at DNG, about his tips for a successful search
Mark Stafford, Partner at DNG, shares his tips for a successful home search
‘IS THIS THE REAL LIFE, OR IS THIS JUST FANTASY?’
There is a big difference between wants and needs. You might want a condo in the Bahamas, but you might need a house that is family orientated and a short commute to work (unless you work in the Bahamas, of course!)
“If you find a house that meets all of your needs and some of your wants, then you have probably found your new home,” says Mark Stafford of DNG (www.dng.ie).
“It helps to sit down and make a list of what’s important to you in a house.”
When creating your list of needs, focus on the things that you cannot change. A home with a ‘lovely carpet’ should never be on your list of must-have items. You can always replace a carpet further down the road. Your list of needs should only include things that would be hard or impossible to change (the location, the lot or the size of the home). Consider matters such as: What kind of house would you prefer? How many rooms? What kind of space do you need? How much square footage? Do I need to be close to a school?
MOVE BEYOND THE NORM
“I would always advise those looking for a new home to try to avoid sticking to just one particular area,” says Mark. “Discover alternatives that are close by the location you had your eye on. This means you are still near the amenities, but the houses could be that bit more affordable.
“If you’re not entirely sure about the area you are looking for a house in, a good way to become more certain is by staying overnight in the location. You could stay with someone you know who might already live close-by, or even book an Airbnb. This way, you can time the commute to work the next morning, go for a stroll or a drink and a meal in the evening, to see if the area is somewhere you think you would feel safe in. You’ll also discover if it is somewhere you could imagine yourself living in the foreseeable future.”
‘TECH-ING’ IT OUT
With the internet making it easier and easier to view potential houses from the comfort of your couch, Mark says it is important to view properties in real-time first, to get a true sense of area.
“However, this being said, technology can be useful throughout the home-buying process, when it comes to reviewing the house you have visited. An up-and-coming trend is the use of virtual reality (VR) to explore properties for sale. You can virtually walk through a property room-by-room, on your smartphone, laptop or a VR headset. I think this is great if you wanted to show a family member the property for their take, or wanted to have a look at the house again in your own time.
“But nothing takes away from a real viewing. You can study everything that is around you in a house or an apartment, judge the length of the garden, and really see the level of light in the house.”
BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP
“If you know an area, get to know the estate agents that are selling in that area,” advises Mark. “If agents know you, then they are more likely to inform you about any houses coming on the market, and they are also more likely to let you know if there is any flexibility on the price. “Go to viewings, meet the agents and follow up with them the following week, even if it’s a property you have no interest in. Just let them know that you are in a position to move, you have a loan approval in place and ask if they have anything else coming up. And if they don’t, put in a call two weeks later. “You need to be on the forefront of their mind. There’s no point in just waiting on the website for an alert. You’re better off being proactive, especially if you’ve identified areas you like. And, most importantly, have fun during the process. Finding your dream home should be one of the most exciting times of your life!”