Looking to buy a house? READ THIS FIRST! I’m sharing 6 Essential Things to Consider Before Buying a Home… the things you need to know that no one really talks about!
I’ve talked before about home-buying and if you’re at that chapter in your life where you’re considering the change between renting vs buying and you’re ready to start house-hunting… then you’ve come to the right place!
While we don’t consider ourselves experts, I am always one that loves to learn through the experiences of others, so this time I thought I’d share what we’ve learned through our own experiences in this Homeowner Hindsight series!
We’ve previously covered some tips before you start the house-hunting process, so definitely start there, but you guys, you don’t want to miss these 6 Essential Things to Consider Before Buying a Home!
Between our own home-buying ups and downs as well as the realtors and homeowners around me chiming in with their insight (and homeowner hindsight), we’re spilling the goods and sharing things you may not always think to consider.
Table of Contents
6 Essential Things to Consider Before Buying a Home
1. Noise level.
We learned this the hard way with our first home. While it backed up to a creek with plenty of lush greenery and even with a large yard gorgeous views, we didn’t quite think to take into consideration what was on the other side of that creek and beautiful tree line… an elementary school. Even at that, the school was pretty far off, with the playground and field space in between, so really we didn’t think too much of it. Until I worked from home. During the day. While kids were in school. And then I had a baby. And all day long during the school year, I’d hear the bell ring for recess followed by lots of yelling and screaming until the next bell rang. And then it started all over again. We eventually got used to it, and it wasn’t that bad… but it also wasn’t quite as peaceful throughout the day as I thought it would be, and I definitely couldn’t keep the windows open when the baby was napping.
Suffice it to say, if there’s a home on your radar, consider driving around the neighborhood and nearby streets to see what’s around. Is the home near railroad tracks? A busy highway or road? Backed up to a school? In close proximity to an airport?
While none of these are necessarily a deal-breaker, take your time to access the kind of noise you’ll have at different points of the day/season.
2. Added expenses.
When considering expenses, take a good look to see how much you plan to change on the home you’re looking at! We knew we were going to be changing A LOT, and knew that all those little things will truly add up. Thankfully it’s something we planned for and purchased a home in a price range that allowed us to update! However, I do know some people who didn’t budget for it and had a whole load of problems. For example, I had one friend who moved into their new house, and then a few weeks in they found out they had a termite infestation! It’s a good idea to be aware that things can go wrong and be prepared for the unexpected (meaning don’t purchase a home that will be too strenuous on your budget).
The great thing about finding a home you know this way? Less cosmetic changes! You can find a home with the look and design you already love and save the money for the unforeseen expenses that can pop up.
Some advice from a realtor friend of mine, “The unseen costs add up over time like exterior painting, roof replacement, pool refinishing, A/C replacement, landscaping, and flooring (cleaning & replacement). Most homeowners don’t save each month for these things and then when they are needed it becomes a HUGE expense. These are some of the things I advise my buyers about… especially first time homebuyers.”
3. Schools and neighbors.
Even if you don’t have children (or not yet), it’s still important to take things like the schools and neighborhoods into consideration. What the ratio of kids in your neighborhood? Have you had a chance to meet any of your possible-new-neighbors while walking through the home?
I’ve heard horror stories of neighbors-gone-wrong, and thankfully we have some amazing one! Even though you won’t be seeing them constantly, the right people around you can make all the difference! You could even have custom home builders build a house in an isolated area for you if you’re worried about neighbors!
I’m not the only one who feels that way, my friend Kim agreed… “Schools and neighbors, we finally have really good ones.”
4. Layout.
Think about what you do and what you need around you on a day-to-day basis. Everyone likes a different layout and for different reasons.
We knew we wanted an open concept and a large pantry. Thankfully, even though the home didn’t start with these things, we knew it had the right “bones” for it… but if you don’t want to constantly have projects over your head, make sure you make a list of the things you truly value, and stick to it!
Another mama friend of mine, Sophia, said, “The laundry room downstairs means the dirty clothes that go down to be cleaned must go back up to be put away. Next time… laundry room upstairs!”
5. Location.
With a cross-country move from Michigan to Florida, there also came a big difference in the way homes are set-up and maintained, and we had to learn about how to care for a home in our new environment. Every climate had it’s quirks… in Michigan, we had basements, which usually meant sump pumps. In Texas, most foundations need to be watered so they don’t crack from the dry heat. In Florida, there is a different way to take care of things because of the humidity (and you definitely want to make sure there’s insulation because of the heat)… etc. Research where you’ll be living and what some of the home maintenance will be. Part of owning your own home means taking care of it and you want to be prepared… especially when you find your dream home!
Photos of our garage turned homeschool room makeover!
6. The Paperwork.
Sometimes the paperwork surrounding the home buying process can seem daunting and overwhelming, but if you’re wanting to purchase a home, you’re in the big leagues now… so it’s time to grab a coffee and get ready for all that “stuff.”
Going into a new home with a solid homeowner’s insurance policy with warranties isn’t something you want to take lightly. In fact, with both homes we’ve purchased, we’ve had a homeowner’s warranty and ended up being SO grateful. In our current home, our water heater blew (along with a hole through the wall too, which leaked into our closet!). I woke up to the sound of running water. Thankfully, it was covered… it took a little effort and I had to pull the paperwork from it’s safe place, but that big bill was taken care of!
So, ask your realtor, take the time to read through the paperwork, and make sure you’ve got good coverage going into it!
For another bit of the nitty-gritty, my friend Josie mentioned, “Taxes are expensive… especially if the previous homeowners have been there long.” So check into it before you get too far into the process.
Photo of our big pantry makeover!
These are things to consider before buying a home that I wish I knew the first time around.
What about you? Have you purchased a home? What are some homeowner hindsight tips you have?
If you haven’t seen our House to Home series on YouTube yet, make sure to check it out! I’ll leave our first episode below where we take you all through the NEW house!!!
robin rue says
Unless you already know one, there is no way to really know if you are going to have good neighbors until you move in and live next to them. I got lucky with all of mine.
Tabitha Blue says
That is so true! You really do never know. Although, we’ve always walked around and chatted with neighbors in the area that we’re looking at and find it helps us get a scope of how the neighborhood is, if there are a lot of kids, etc. 🙂 Usually there are some neighbors outside (at least in Florida!).
Name (required)candy says
Check what the taxes are because they will probably go up when you purchase the home. Check what the monthly utilities bill were as well. More than just buying a home.
Jeanette says
These are definitely things to consider when you buy home. For me noise level is a big one. I am kind of picky about how loud it should be and so I do not want to hear somebody’s dog barking all night long. You you have some great tips here!
Kathi says
Great tips Had never heard of homes.com, but that sounds so helpful. Will definitely have to look into that.
Amber Myers says
This is all so true. We bought our house for the first time 2 years ago and it was a process, that’s for sure. We had to make sure the house worked for our family.
Sarah Bailey says
These are some great things to think about. We have never bought our own home though I would love to manage to one day but it would be such a stressful time I am sure. So these things to think of are a great help.
Chubskulit Rose says
We considered all these things when we bought our second home. The location of the school was so important to us and the kind of neighbors too.
sara says
These are such great tips! We hope to buy a new house in the next few years and I will keep these in mind. We have always found amazing houses and been incredibly lucky with finding good deals too!
Brianne Manz says
Such awesome tips. I think there are quite a few useful tidbits in your post for home buyers. Sometimes we get so excited about finding the ‘perfect’ place for our family we forget about the daily things that we then have to live with. Thank you for writing this.
Alyssa H says
All super important! To me, location is the number one thing—you can change a lot of things about your home but you can never change that!
Lindsay | Paperclips and Pacis says
Such great tips and your home is so beautiful! I LOVE your kitchen remodel! That’s really cool that Homes.com has a similar search feature.
Dennis Littley says
These are great tips for buying a house. It’ll likely help new home buyers think of details that may otherwise be forgotten.
Terri Steffes says
We’ve learned to pay more in a desirable area in case we have to resell. NOTHING is worse than sitting on a house that’s not selling. Once we wait 18 months for the house to sell. Everyone loved the house but not the location.
[email protected] says
These are great tips to be aware of! Layout and location are very important to me.
Angela Ricardo Bethea says
Those are some great tips to consider when buying a home. For me, I think the noise and neighbor is a big factor for me.
Heather says
These are all excellent tips! We’ve been in our new home just two weeks shy of a full year (that flew by!). We have purchased and lived in four new homes together and until this one, I feel like we always made some obvious mistake along the way. The, “Dang, why didn’t we think of that?!” type of mistakes were carefully thought through before this move. I LOVE your pantry makeover and absolutely need to get onboard with that!
Peter says
These are great tips. Great for renters too. Especially the neighbors. We really lucked out with our neighbours. They are decent and it’s a super quiet hood
Shannon Gurnee says
These are definitely some great things to consider before buying a home. Thank you for sharing these.
Tiffany Locke says
I’m glad that you mention how it’s important to consider added expenses, such as if you’re considering making changes to the home you’re looking at. This would be important to figure out if the property fits in your budget. In order to do this, you might want to ensure you have a budget before you start looking at potential properties and make sure you include everything, such as utilities and the cost of your real estate agent to figure out what you can afford.
Duncan Lance says
Buying a home can be a very big decision, so you’ll want to make sure that you take all of the appropriate factors into consideration before buying one. As the article points out, one thing that you’ll want to look into is the surrounding neighborhood. This is especially important if you plan to raise a family in the house as you will want your kids to have plenty of schools and parks to choose from.
Bram says
Thanks for that tip about budgeting for unforeseen problems with a home. Right after you buy a home, you could be financially unstable. Having that lack of stability can be stressful. Planning for it can really help though, as you said!
Silas Knight says
You’ve got great tips for buying a good home. I like how you said to see how loud the neighborhood is going to be. I hadn’t thought about that before, but you’ve got a great point! The last thing I want is to move into our dream house only to be woken up every morning by dogs or kids.
joy butler says
Buying a home is expensive. I think that there is so much to consider as you said besides the baseline price of the home. I will have to think about that as I seek out the perfect home for me.
Name (required) says
My husband and I are thinking about buying our first home soon and we are not sure what to expect or what to look for in a home, so I am glad that I found this article. I like that you say to think about the layout of the home and prioritize which aspects of the home are most important for you when you start searching. Having an open kitchen and dining room is extremely important to both me and my husband and will make it easy to watch our kids in the future, so that will be one of our top priorities.
Derek Dewitt says
My wife and I want to buy our first home this spring so thanks for sharing this. I like your point about planning for added expenses even after you move in. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind and set aside some of our budget for things like repairs.
Dana Wolfe says
Thank you for this post, as usual filled with great content.
Bernard Button says
Thanks for the great tips for buying a home. I love how you said that it’s good to take schools and the neighborhood into consideration. We’re hoping to move soon, and with a child on the way, finding a safe neighborhood with a great school is important.
Appaswamy says
The checklist is very informative and having the entire things to be check before buying an apartment. Great work!
Richard Davis says
I agree it is really important to know the cost and the expenses of buying a house. You also have to be ready with hidden expenses to avoid mistakes. Great blog by the way and thanks for sharing!
Anil says
Thanks for that tip about budgeting for unforeseen problems with a home.
Penelope Smith says
This is some really good information about getting a custom home built. It is good to know that you should think about the location. Personally, I would want to find a place that has plumbing and electricity already. That way, it wouldn’t be too hard to access those things.
Erika Brady says
Your tip for home buyers to consider the local schools and neighborhoods so you can figure out if it will work for your family both currently and later on in your life would be important for both first time home buyers and those with more experience. In order to do this, you’d probably want to talk to neighbors as well as your real estate agent or any other local professionals you’re working with. It could also help to talk to them about other local amenities, such as stores or activities, to find one that fits your family and your personal preferences.
Pragnya Sheela says
It is wise to know the checklist for buying home, thanks a lot.
Joseph Martial says
Now this is a good heads up for those who are just starters like me in buying a home. Obviously their are many thing to consider when buying a home that sometimes are taken for granted.
Marijan Koturic says
very appreciating article.. these essential things are really necessary & everyone need to get them before buying home
rachel frampton says
I’ve been wanting to buy a residential house in Florida, but since I’m not that knowledgable about today’s market, maybe it would be best to hire a real estate agent instead. I agree with you that I must scout the neighborhood first and check if it’s near my workplace. I’d also keep in mind to determine whether there will be a lot of changes needed in my prospective home.
rachel frampton says
My sister would like to buy a residential house this year, which is why she’s currently looking for a real estate agent that will be able to help her out. Well, I agree with you that she must consider the possible changes in her home first before naming any final decisions. It’s also a good thing that you shared here the importance of checking whether its neighborhood is safe and is near any good schools.
Samantha says
Thanks for sharing this article. I agree with you that schools and neighborhoods should be put into considerations.
Savitry Greens says
Great ideas, Your information is very inspiring. Keep it going. Thanks
Lauren Smith says
Thank-you for sharing these tips. These points should be kept in mind & is really helpful for people looking to buy one. Great job.
Arkaa says
Thank you very much Great article and good information.
Revolve Commercial says
Awesome content and ideas that everyone can follow through it when buying a new home.
Joseph says
Really a great blog. Along with this, the age and condition of the appliances used in the house should also be checked.
Chris Vish says
Thank you for providing this information and great ideas. Education and areas, I think, should be taken into consideration.
Chris Vish says
Thanks for sharing the great tips and ideas for buying a home. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind and set aside some of our budget for things like repairs.
Si Vales Valeo says
Awesome tips on buying a home! Thank you for sharing this article, it’s very informative.
Monika M. says
Such great tips for buying and renovating a home! Thank you for the information
Ajay says
Thanks for sharing this wonderful peace of knowledge.
Nikole says
Thanks for that tip about budgeting for unforeseen problems with a home.