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Buying a House? 5 Tips I bet you Didn't Think of!
August 21, 2014

There are many articles out on the internet today about "buying your new house". Find the perfect Location. Make sure that you have the right credit score. Check out the local schools. Be sure to hire a real estate professional. Make sure that you are pre-approved. Blah, Blah, Blah. Same old. Same old. These are great tips and ones that should not be ignored, but what about the details? Those little everyday things that you may not think of up front, but make a huge difference when you are sitting in your living room and the TV is reflecting a glare from the sun that is coming from the huge east facing picture windows and the sweat drips off the end of your nose right into your ice tea. Or when you invite your family and friends to your new 3,000 square foot home and find that the only place large enough to entertain them is in the master bedroom, because it's actually larger than your living room.

1. Scenario #1: You have purchased your new home, complimenting yourself on how smart you were to buy the one next to the high school so the kids don't have far to go to get to school! Brilliant! So, you have moved into your new home and the kids are away for the weekend, lucky you! Perfect time for a romantic dinner for two by the poolside. Your husband comes home and you lead him over to the sliding glass doors with your hands over his eyes to surprise him with all your hard work. You open the doors and are both suddenly blasted by "Another Brick in the Wall" coming from the marching band at the high school next door, which is holding their FIRST "at home" game for the season! sigh... Noise control is an important factor when purchasing a new home. You may not want to purchase your new home near the interstate, train tracks, schools or airports.

2. Which part of the house faces the sun? This question is important to both houses where heating is a significant expense and where cooling the house is important. If heating the house is a concern, you will want to be sure that the house is on an east-west axis and has plenty of large windows facing the sun. If you live in a hot climate you would want to find a house with large roof overhangs and plenty of trees for shade. Be certain to check how efficient the furnace, air conditioning, insulation, and water heater are. These things make a difference of thousands of dollars a year, which can make them one of the more important features in the home.

3. Scenario #2: You have worked so hard building your construction business. Slaved tirelessly for years and you finally have saved enough money to purchase your new home. You've checked out all the neighborhoods and houses and finally have found the right one! It's absolutely perfect! It has enough backyard space to build a tree house for the kids, a swimming pool to cool off in at the end of the day and a beautiful Banyan tree in the front yard (your wife loves Banyans)! So, you've purchased your new home, moved all your furniture in and have slept peacefully in your overly large master bedroom. You wake up in the morning for work and jump into your company vehicle only to find a ticket on your windshield from the neighborhood association. It appears that you are not allowed to have a company vehicle in your driveway as it is considered "business signage". Many neighborhood associations may not allow you to have your favorite football team flag waving high on Superbowl Sunday or have a couple of chickens in the backyard for eggs. Check out the local rules of a neighborhood before buying a home in one.

4. Is bigger better? Smaller homes can be just as efficient as larger homes with the right layout. Most Real Estate professionals will be the first to tell you that the square footage of a house is one of the biggest details that you should pay attention to. However, you can have a 900 square foot home that has a large enough living room for your friends and family that a 3,000 square foot home could be missing. While your 900 square foot home is lacking in staircases, long hallways and a huge master bedroom and bath, it makes up for it in true living space.

5. Roof stability. Do I really need to get into why this is important? Check for cracks, curlings or missing shingles in the ceiling/roof when looking for a new home. Replacing an entire roof: est $5,000.00. Ceiling crashing into your living room while watching the game: Priceless.

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