Tips for successful house hunting in Halifax
Hunting for a new Halifax home, especially when relocating from another city, province or country, can be a stressful time. Here are six tips to help make the experience a memorable and productive one.
- Location counts. How far are you really willing to commute to your place of employment? How good are the local schools, shopping facilities, public transportation, senior services and other public amenities? Even a picture-perfect dream home can be a mistake if it’s in an undesirable location, and a poor-location home can be a particularly bad choice if you anticipate reselling the home within a few years. There are lots of fantastic neighbourhoods in Halifax, be sure to choose the right one that meets your needs.
- Make a list. Do you really know what you need and want in your home? You’ll save yourself many hours of shopping if you make a list ahead of time. Zero in on the features you must have, would like to have, definitely don’t want, and would prefer not to have. Start compiling your wish list by thinking about what you like and dislike about your current home.
- Do your homework. Not long ago, consumers had very little access to information about recent home sales prices, market trends, homes on the market, neighborhood statistics and the home-buying process. Today, all this information and more is available on the Internet. Go surfing. Get educated. Become empowered.
- Use a checklist. Touring multiple homes is a confusing experience for most people. Rather than relying on memory, take notes or even pictures/video of the homes you visit. Turn your priorities into a personalized home-shopping checklist and use it track the features of each home.
- Be prepared to make an offer. House-hunting can also be frustrating, especially if you know in your heart you’re not really emotionally or financially ready to buy a home. If you’re not ready, don’t put yourself through the exercise. If you are ready, consider speaking with a mortgage professional and get pre-approved so you’ll know what you can comfortably afford before you make an offer to purchase your dream home.
- And finally……make sure you are working with a REALTOR that will work for you. A good Agent can put together a list of potential properties based on the requirements you provide. They know the Halifax area a lot better than you do and they know the market. If you need a home by a specific date, make sure they are aware of your requirements. Be as specific as possible with what you can afford, the area you’d like to live in, and the type of home you’d like.
As always, please get in touch if I can answer any of your questions or concerns. I’d be delighted to help!
Richard Payne – Halifax Homes and Lifestyles – 902 489-1804
