How To Avoid Regrets After Buying a Home

Buying a home comes with its ups and downs. Some people are guilty of buying properties and moments later they feel it’s not worth the buy. In this article, we highlight ways we can avoid regrets after buying a home.

Ever bought something special and later realized you didn’t need it or like it after all? Usually, returning it is as simple as boxing it back up, locating the receipt, and taking it back to the store for a full refund.

But unlike store merchandise or even a car, you can’t return a home with a receipt, which makes the decision to buy even more stressful. You also don’t get a chance to “try before you buy” the home. You need to do as much homework ahead of time as possible, because in real estate “All Sales are Final.”

It happens to us a lot of time especially when we are shopping for new clothes and accessories. But it is a different ball game when you have such feeling after making the most important purchase of your life.

Home shopping can be an intense, emotional process. Here’s how to make sure you don’t get caught up in it.

 

1. Thinking it through

How do you avoid getting into this situation? To avoid buyer’s remorse, stay grounded by asking yourself the following questions throughout the home-buying process.

Must I ‘own’ this house or is this what I need at this point in my life?

It is important that you weigh the pros and cons of owning that particular house

2. Have I seen the home more than once?

There are hundreds of buyers who saw a house only once. Some people even purchase a house without physically seeing the property they are paying for

No matter how much you think you love a home, if you’ve only seen it once, you could be heading for buyer’s remorse; you may just feel bad after the purchase.  Going back in the evening or a different time of day provides another perspective.

Also, you may see things differently the second time around. Often, you miss something in your first pass that stands out the second time around.

3. Have I seen the home from every angle and spent time in every room?

A quick tour of the home provides a basic understanding of the floor plan, condition, and size. But to really know a home, dig deep.

Walk to the end of the lot and look at the back of the home. Open every closet and go in the attic, basement, and garage (park your car in there, if you can). And look at the neighbouring houses, too.

 

4.  Have I toured the home privately?

Visiting a home with other buyers isn’t the best way to see it. You may feel cramped or rushed. You might want to sit in one of the rooms in silence for a few minutes, but it’s often not possible to do so at an open house. You may just want the time and attention of the listing agent, or maybe you don’t want anyone there but your agent.

If you’re serious about a home, go back for a private showing, because it reveals more when you have time alone there.

5. Have I done due diligence?

If you haven’t seen or heard about any disclosures before making an offer, it could be a red flag. In many markets, disclosure packages are available before making an offer. If not, a good listing agent will reveal the major disclosure items verbally.

Make sure the town sees the home as it is being presented to you, that all the rooms and renovations are legal and permitted. If you’re too busy to review the disclosures, you shouldn’t make an offer.

6. Is this home what I set out to look for in the first place?

Sometimes your path changes once you’re in the market. You realize that another area will give you more for your money. Or a home that’s in the school district you want needs a lot of renovation, which you hadn’t counted on doing.

You may discover that with lower rates and being open to a new or emerging area, you can afford a better home.

When buyers are in the throes of a competitive home market, it’s easy to settle for a home that “kind of” works, or to lapse into autopilot mode. You may just be ready to buy and be done with it. You don’t think about things like the commute from the new neighborhood to your job, that you aren’t the renovating type, or that you never signed up for the maintenance issues associated with home-ownership.

A good agent will bring you back to your original plan before you sign a contract. You and your agent should review all the reasons why the home isn’t the right option. It’s better to flesh that out in advance than to ignore the warning signs and cancel. If your agent tries to talk you out of a house, that’s a sign of a good agent.

7. The contingency safety net

To help protect you from feeling bad after buying a home, always have an inspection contingency in your purchase agreement. Reserve the inspection contingency for something serious about the property you didn’t know before signing on the dotted line. Some agents call it the “cold feet” or “buyer’s remorse” contingency. It allows you to exit the agreement if something comes up.

If you think you’ve found the home of your dreams but have the littlest doubt, or you can’t answer all of the above questions, think twice about accepting that final counter or even making the offer.

Ultimately, never sign an agreement if you aren’t completely convinced this is the home for you.

www.zillow.com