Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your entire life. There’s a lot on the line, and even the small mistakes can be costly in these occasions. So, what do you need to consider?
In this article, we’ll share four tips for finding the perfect home in your 20s.
Build your credit score
You’ll want to start working on boosting your credit score long before you need to take out a mortgage. Having a better credit score will help you secure better rates on loans. Plus, you don’t want to miss the chance to get your dream house!
You will need to find a reliable way to build your credit history and use it consistently as soon as you know you want to buy your own home. However, you get the help of a financial advisor if you’re struggling to figure out what your options are.
Consider your future
It’s important you consider your long-term goals before you start looking for your perfect home. What do you want to be doing in the next 5-10 years?
Will you be married, have children, or be focusing on your career? These are crucial questions to consider if you want the house you buy to fit properly into the picture.
Start saving now
If you want to be able to afford your perfect home, you should start saving as soon as you decide you want to buy a home.
The more spare money you have, the better. In the first place, there’s the deposit to save for. But many young people underestimate how many additional costs come with purchasing a house.
You’ll need to come up with a saving plan and stick to it. Come up with a target figure and decide how much you’ll save every month. To make things easier for yourself, simply set up a direct deposit into your savings account so the saving happens automatically.
Don’t forget to see if you’re eligible for any financial help from the government through one of their affordable home ownership schemes.
Shop around
There are several strategies you can use to narrow down the search for your perfect home, including:
- Consider working with a real estate agent who’s familiar with the area you want to buy a house in
- Set up alerts on house listing sites such as Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket, using filters to make the alerts as relevant to what you want as possible
- Have a list of must-haves you refer to when viewing houses
- Explore the neighbourhood of any home you’re considering buying a house in and talk to the local people to get an accurate idea of what it’s like to live there
Finding the perfect home can be daunting when you’re still in your 20s but its achievable with patience and a thoughtful approach. Use our tips above to get off to a good start.
