5 things to think about when you buy your first house


Preparing to purchase a house for the first time can feel very exciting – especially when you anticipate the amount of independence you will now have, but had previously long eluded you.

However, the moment of readying that leap can also be surprisingly scary. You may fear that, to use a suitable metaphor, you sink without trace in the attempt to forge your own independence. You can give yourself a better chance of staying afloat by remembering the following factors.

How long do you expect to live in that house?

Investing in a house is very much a matter of investing in your future. So, how precisely would you like your future to pan out? The answer should affect your ultimate choice of property.

If starting a family is very much in your near-future plans, you should forget attempting to purchase a studio flat, The Guardian cautions. You should perhaps even entirely abandon the idea of a house buy if your job is unstable and so your job location could soon dramatically change anyway.

Whether you are sufficiently open-minded about location

When considering where exactly to live, you might quickly rule out particular areas as though they are apocalyptic wastelands. However, by being so hasty, you could be saying no to some places which would actually be surprisingly good for your needs without being too expensive. The latter factor is particularly crucial in light of rising house prices, notes This is MONEY.co.uk.

Have you spent enough time researching the options?

It is through conducting sufficient research that you could uncover some “overlooked gems” capable of delivering surprisingly good value for money.

However, carrying out that research could take a lot of time, which you should remember to set aside. You could initially rush into a deal only to learn that a larger and better-equipped home is actually available for the same – or possibly even a lower – price fairly close by.

The buying process can be surprisingly lengthy

Once you begin negotiations to buy a house, don’t be too surprised if the deal takes many months to be sealed. It wouldn’t be an overly unusual occurrence; furthermore, there can be inadvertent delays that could try your patience.

You could, for example, learn that the seller has just become pregnant and so their time is taken up preparing for the birth when they would otherwise have been spending that time working on the house sale. The seller might even work abroad and so hold up the buy for reasons related to this.

Various implications of being a homeowner

Owning your own home can have a range of implications that you might not have previously anticipated. You could move into the residence only to notice that your neighbours are all-night party animals or the roof is leaking.

Problems with the roof could, however, be rectified delightfully easily if you seek out a reputable local roofing firm. Findley Roofing & Building, for example, offers high-quality roofing for Gateshead, Newcastle and other North East areas’ homes.