SkyFive Properties Blog

As a responsible homeowner, it seems like your to-do list has no end. There is always something to renovate, update, or maintain.

In fact, statistics show that average Americans spend 1-4% of their home’s value on maintenance every year. That’s a lot of maintenance to consider.

You might be putting a lot of time and effort into the design and upkeep of your home’s interior, probably by following a lot of the tips Cleaners of London have outlined in their handy guide at the bottom of this article, but have you thought about what it takes to keep the exterior maintained?

There are many reasons it would be smart for you to hire a professional window cleaning service for your home. If you keep reading, you’ll find some of them explained further.

Saving Time and Effort With a Window Cleaning Service

As mentioned above, you don’t have an infinite amount of time to deal with everything that comes to home maintenance. Sometimes you have to hire experts to take care of projects for you.

Hiring professionals for any large project will allow you to act as more of a “coach” than a “player.” When you set whatever the task is in front of a well-qualified “team”, you can rest assured knowing it will get done properly and efficiently. That way, you won’t stress yourself out with the entire burden of it on your shoulders!

This is where modern society comes to your rescue – when you need something done right the first time. For your home’s exterior cleaning, there is actually a lot of involved work that needs to be done, so it’s best to trust efficiency to someone who knows more about it.

To clean your windows without causing any damage or missing any details, you would need to do a lot of learning and researching. Instead of all of that, just hire someone in your stead who already knows about the project better than you.

Experts in window cleaning, like the ones you can find on this site, will be able to assure you of their professional qualifications as soon as you inquire about them. Save yourself some time by hiring a window cleaning service. That way you can spend more time solving more problems with your home’s maintenance.

Experience and Expertise

If you try to take on the cleaning of your home’s exterior all by yourself, you’ll probably start to find that there are many hidden details that need to be taken care of, which you originally didn’t even consider. There’s a reason that homeowners might actually do better by hiring a window cleaning service – and that reason is their experience.

Window cleaning is quite literally what they do every day, so why wouldn’t you trust their experience when cleaning your home’s exterior? The laborers who would show up to your home to clean your windows would have performed the same high-quality service for dozens of other customers already before you.

Make sure you do the right thing for your home’s windows by allowing someone who knows their needs better than you handle them with care and understanding.

Materials and Equipment

Perhaps one of the most significant reasons for hiring a professional window cleaning service is that they will come extremely prepared for the task. You might be surprised at how many different kinds of cleaning chemicals are used for the best window cleaning methods.

Hiring the professionals means that they would come with all of the ladders, supplies, chemicals, and materials that would be best suited to get the job done. Consider how expensive it would be to try and purchase all of those yourself!

Instead of doing all of the research to know what you would need to buy to get the job done yourself, spend that research time and effort looking into the best window cleaning service instead.

It’s Worth the Investment

The introduction to this article mentions that Americans spend a significant amount of time, effort, and money when it comes to keeping their home up to modern standards. Maintaining the value of your property is essential to your future financial situation.

When it comes time for you to either sell your home to a buyer or gift it to your children, it’s responsible for you to want it to be in its best possible condition. Properly investing in the property will increase the value of both the financial aspect of your assets as well as the personal fulfillment of your role as a homeowner.

This means that you will constantly be researching methods and advice to keep your home as well-maintained as possible. Fortunately, living in the Digital Age means that the Internet will have many of those answers for you.

In fact, the aesthetics and utility of your home can significantly boost your personal well-being. For example, you might want to read about how your living space design affects your overall lifestyle. No matter what, investing properly in your home’s interior and exterior will always be worth it at the end of the day.

You Deserve to Have Best Home on Your Street

There’s another aspect to the shiny finishing touch of properly cleaned windows – you’ll definitely stand out. While it’s not healthy to boast or be vain, don’t you think if you spend the time and money to properly care for your home that you deserve a little bit of praise?

Investing in quality maintenance measures will surely provide you with some. Shine brighter than your neighbors with a professional window cleaning service. It’s not about the competition, but you’re still free to enjoy winning.

We know how important it is to keep up the standards of modern property’s appearance. Real estate development is a wide, profitable industry that allows property owners to enjoy the efforts they put into their assets.

If you are looking for a professional marketing for real estate development on any level, we encourage you to reach out to us today. Our variety of services are available for any of your needs, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Most people never expect to grow out of their homes. Yet, one day they wake up wanting to move out of their luxury apartments. It could be for more or less space, a pet-friendly area, or to get extra facilities. This restlessness is the clearest sign it is time to sell.

But how should you go about it? Read on to learn how to sell luxury apartments and other properties.

How to Sell Luxury Apartments

Currently, there’s a ready market for real estate transactions. In the fourth quarter of 2017, 71 percent of Americans thought it was a good time to sell a home. Another 72 percent believed it was a good time to buy.

These statistics apply to the high-end market as well. Unfortunately, though there’s strong buyer demand, luxury properties are in limited supply.

Here are five tips for attracting buyers for luxury apartments:

1. Market Yourself

It seems counter-intuitive to market yourself instead of the property you are selling. Yet, people buy from people they believe are experts in their field. They want someone they can trust.

Find a way to spread the word about your job. Get an online presence, show your worth, and compile positive reviews. Go to places like cafes where wealthy people hang out and market yourself.

2. Use Co-Listing

Co-listing a property allows you to tap into the resources of another sales agent. You’ll have a larger pool of potential buyers. Moreover, working together helps you reach more buyers in a short time.

3. Networking and Referrals

Networking can have a similar impact on real estate sales as it does with job applications. Your network gives you information about people looking for an apartment. Your job is to convince them the property is right for them.

4. Advertising and Content Marketing

Use advertising and content marketing to let buyers know about the property. Make compelling videos about the beauty and features of the property. Write content on the reasons to buy the apartment.

You can also write solutions for issues that may put off a buyer. For instance, recommend a Source 4 Industries step ladder for accessing high areas in the home. It is a safe, versatile, and easy-to-move ladder.

5. Consult Companies Dealing with Affluent People

Talk to businesses that deal with rich people and ask for referrals. For example, banks or high-end spas know many wealthy individuals. Ask them to talk about your services or alert you if a client is apartment-hunting in the area.

Learn More About Real Estate

Applying the tips above will help you sell more luxury apartments. Find or attract buyers through marketing, networking, co-listing, and consulting. Consider hosting events on the property to get more buyers interested.

Remember, you must understand what kind of buyer you are dealing with. Are they rich and reclusive? Or maybe young, tech moguls? Is it a celebrity? What are their hobbies and preferences? All these will play a role in whether you’ll close the deal.

Visit our website to learn more about us and about real estate. Our professional consultants’ strategies will help you build your real estate empire.

When you’re buying a home, especially when it’s your first one, it can be easy to get caught up in the significant numbers and the excitement of finally getting on the property ladder. However, you should be wary of the extra costs you may not have factored into your budget such as this mortgage broker when looking for a new home.  Below are some of the most prominent costs associated with buying your first house, beyond the deposit and your mortgage.

Solicitor’s fees

Buying a home is a complicated process that requires a lot of paperwork. You need to hire a solicitor to check all the documentation for the property is in order and to ensure that it is completely signed over to you. This shouldn’t be a drawn-out process but it will take time, and most solicitors charge by the hour. It is an unavoidable but necessary cost, so you should factor in how much a good quality solicitor will cost to ensure that once you’ve paid your money, the house is entirely yours with no risk of debate.

Building Surveyor

This item may seem like an odd expense, especially if you are buying a new build property. But it is always worth getting a professional to check the property before you hand over any money. This situation, unfortunately, could prove costly in the long run, as the surveyor might notice faults with the property which result in you being further out of pocket.

If the surveyor advises against purchasing the property at the listed price, you should heed their advice. You should then negotiate a lower price to take into account the work that you need to get done. If the seller will not budge, withdraw your offer and walk away.

Moving

One expense which nearly always gets left off the list is the cost of moving. It can seem like a minor bill in comparison to the hundreds of thousands you are spending on the property, but it is essential nonetheless. You should make a list of all the items to be moved and work out how many boxes you will require. It’s also a good idea to work out what you don’t want anymore and donate it or get in touch with a waste removal service. You should also factor in a plentiful supply of packing materials so that fragile items are not damaged. Some removal companies will offer a service to properly pack your belongings for you.

However, you should bear in mind that this will come at a premium, so you should weigh up how valuable your time or money is to you. The company will charge you for how long it takes to load up the removal truck, the distance to the new property, and how many flights of stairs are at either property. The size of your furniture will also be taken into account, as large pieces will require more than two people to move.
If you remember to factor these into your budget, you can rest easy that you won’t have any surprises during your buying process. The last thing you need is to have maxed out your budget and then realize that you still need to pay for solicitor’s fees or similar. Follow this advice, and all you’ll need to worry about is how to turn your brand new home into a sanctuary.

Our homes are our sanctuary. A place all to our own where can get away from the stress of the everyday world and just relax, rest, and recharge. The area that you have chosen to call home may have hidden potential that you might not have realized.  To many, a home is just that: a home. A house, an apartment, a boat. It doesn’t matter. You have your shelter, and you’ve filled it with furniture and decoration, and that’s it. But there is so much more you could apply to unlocking the magic within.

All About You

For a house to feel like a home, there needs to be elements of yourself within. You might have already filled it with family portraits, selected your favorite color paint, and chosen the ideal furniture that represents exactly how you want you home to be.

There is a great deal that can be done to ensure that who you are shines through. People are naturally passionate, and so finding the space to show off your passions will provide you with the happiness at home that you have always wanted.

Your passions could be anything from painting to writing to crafting, but whatever it is, having a dedicated space that allows you to follow such passions will do wonders for your home’s magic and allure.

Cluttered House, Cluttered Mind

It is only natural that after a while you may look around and feel like your home much smaller than you remember. This can be due to a lot of things. As times goes on, you acquire more and more possessions, and you will need to find somewhere to put them.

A house full of clutter can quickly lead to a cluttered mind. Making the most of your available space will make you feel like you have recently moved in all over again. And this could reignite the spark that drew you to your property in the first place. Moving around couches and desks and shelves can all contribute to a less cluttered home, and do wonders for your head space, too.

Starting Over

For some, it is already too late. If you feel like you have exhausted the potential of your home and find yourself searching for homes for sale you might imagine all of the possibilities of what a new abode may bring.

It might seem like you are giving up, but those who have moved a lot throughout their lives will tell you that once you know, you just know. Taking the leap and exploring the magic of a brand new place is an excellent way of freshening up the way you see your home, and if you can afford to make a move, then you might find that it was the perfect time to make a change.

The hidden magic of a home is something that we all want to find. The solutions can range from big to small, and it is up to you to decide how you unlock this magic.

Purchasing your first home can be incredibly costly. There are many hidden fees involved, and you will need to budget accordingly for them. The main hurdle to overcome is your mortgage deposit. It’s the most costly part of saving for a home and is the main problem that most people encounter.

To help you save for your first home, we’ve put together some excellent tips that will assist you in saving up for a mortgage deposit.

Preparing Your Mortgage

Take a look at various mortgage brokers to see what savings you could make. This step is crucial because you need to gauge how much money you’ll need before you start saving. Knowing your savings goal will help you budget more efficiently for the future.

Remember to take a look at different houses. If you keep looking for deals, you will eventually stumble on a fantastic deal that will save you a lot of money in the long run. Don’t be afraid of moving out of your comfort zone either. While you might be content with living in your current location, there are likely cheaper properties out there.

Stop Renting and Find an Alternative

It’s essential to stop renting as soon as you can to save money. While renting is a good option, for now, it will slowly eat away your budget. Even if you can only find a place to live for a few months, it’s better than nothing.

Returning home is one option. If your parents are willing to take you back, then it’s a good option that will save you a lot of money. Even if you have to pay the rent, it’s likely cheaper than renting out a place of your own.

If you have the option of staying with friends or family members, then ask if they would be willing to take you in for a while. Again, even if they ask for a bit of compensation, it should be much cheaper than renting.

Alternatively, you could just downscale your rental. Perhaps you could reduce your accommodation to only a single room, or maybe you can find an apartment that’s cheaper on the other side of your town.

Use Proper Budgeting

How much money do you plan to save each month? Make sure you look at your expenses and budget accordingly. It may help if you learn budgeting basics and use something like an app to keep track of your money.

If you keep track of every single penny that goes in and out of your business, you’ll have a much easier time-saving money. Look at areas of your spending to reduce. Some main areas to look at are food expenses, entertainment and insurance. If you can save money, make those changes and put the savings towards your mortgage.

As you watch your money grow, keep it in a safe place. For instance, open a savings account if you don’t have one and keep your cash safe there. Alternatively, you could set up a regular payment into your savings account.

Saving for your first home isn’t easy, but these simple steps will help you get on track.

Deciding whether to rent a home or buy one is one of the leading questions people have when they are looking to get on the property ladder. Saving up for a mortgage can take years, and many people just don’t want to wait to have their independence in life. However many people do think that renting is wasting your money because you aren’t paying towards owning anything. If you are unsure whether renting is the best option for you, here are some things to think about.

A Home Is An Investment

The main argument which people have for saying that buying is better than renting is that buying a home is an investment. The thing is, most people will never make the most of the investment they put into a house due to the rate of inflation, meaning it doesn’t have much of a long-term return. If your basis for buying a home is the fact that it is an investment, then you are not buying a home for the right reasons.

How Much You Can Afford

When you are deciding whether to rent nice apartments near me or save or save up for a home, you need to look at how much you can afford to be spending. There are a few factors which will decide whether or not you can afford to buy or whether you should rent:

Take-home pay –  this is your pay after having all taxes and retirement taken off
Debt –  this can include loans, credit cards, car, student loans, etc.
Consider your priorities –  if you have children to look after and pay for
Calculate your down payment amount. It might make more sense to save and wait.

Make sure that you have a decent buffer in your savings to work with and use for a deposit. You will also need to think about whether you’ll be able to afford the mortgage and bills each month comfortably.

Cost of Renting Vs. Buying

One of the primary arguments between a buying and renting is that when you buy, you own your home, but when you rent you own nothing. Buying might cost a lot more, but in the end, you will have your own house. However, it’s not as simple as that.

Your rent cost: if renting ppm is cheaper than a mortgage, you could invest the difference and earn more money. You’ll get a more significant return long term and make more money for your family.

Down payment & mortgage interest rate: when you come to buying a home you need to pay out for the deposit, land tax, interest rate and other fees. If you merely invested all of this money, you would be likely to earn money back, and this would be more valuable. Where you live: whether you should rent or buy will also depend on where you live. There will be different housing prices in different areas, so you need to make sure that you are in the right place to buy or the right place to rent.

When you look at your recurring costs with both a mortgage and with renting, you will see how much you are going to save in the long term. You might not be paying towards owning a home, but if your monthly payment is less than the equivalent mortgage, you are saving money overall which means you will be earning more money by renting than buying.

Net Worth

If you want to work out what your net worth is, you will need to look carefully at your assets. Your home should only cost between 20-40% of your total net worth. If you are unsure how to calculate your net worth, you need to look at your real estate, stocks, investments and other assets you own. Once you have a figure, you will see what price your home should be. The reason we look at this is that it will show you that you do not want your home to be your primary asset. Think about the risk that holds if you ever lose your home. The idea is for you to be as financially stable as you can before you think about buying a home. If you are not at that stage yet, renting can be a much better option for you.

Before you do buy a home and before you rent, you will want to save up a decent amount so that you have that safety net should anything ever go wrong. Whichever choice you make, you need to take your time with the decision and always ask for advice.

Outgrowing a home is something the majority of families will do in their lifetimes. It’s highly unusual for a couple or family to stay in the same house forever and ever. We outgrow many things in life, from people to towns. Sometimes, people just get bored. Here are seven signs you’ve grown out of your home if you’re not sure:

You’re Desperate For More Space

If your family has grown or is growing, chances are, you’re going to need to find a new place to live pretty soon. This situation is the most common reason families grow out of their homes. A house can get crowded pretty quickly when you have more children. Maybe your furniture just isn’t fitting, and you still have things hiding in storage. If your possessions are piling up and you’re running out of places to put them, a space that can comfortably accommodate your belongings could be an idea. The only other thing you can do is live a more minimalist lifestyle! If you’re also finding that you and you and your family are under one another’s feet constantly, stepping on lego, and just generally beginning to feel claustrophobic, you should start looking out for new properties that suit you and your unique needs.

You Could Do With Less Space

Another common reason that people outgrow their homes is when they need less space. If your kids fly the nest, you’re going to be paying to heat and run a large house with lots of space you don’t need. This scenario can become quite the burden. Getting the most out of these years could mean choosing a smaller home in an excellent location. This move can even help you to save money and get the most from your retirement years. Less space means not feeling like you’re rattling around your house, and paying much less on your utilities. Although you may consider keeping your home for the memories, you won’t lose them if you move. It’s often the smarter choice!

The right thing to do can be confusing if you find yourself with something called ‘empty nest syndrome’. This situation is a feeling of depression and sadness you may get when your children leave home. Maybe it comes on when they get married or go to college. Both men and women can experience this, but studies show that it is more common for women.

If you’re feeling overwhelming sadness, then going to find the right treatment for you is recommended. Make sure you book an appointment with your GP asap and discuss your feelings. Psychotherapy can help you to understand your feelings better and give you the strength you need to work through them. Medication can help to lessen the feelings of depression, but it’s better not to rely on it.

Social support is probably the best way to help when you feel stressed and lonely, and don’t forget to take the time to care for yourself properly. Remember that you can now spend the energy you spent caring for your child in another area of your life, such as a neglected hobby or a career pursuit. When you feel ready, you may then consider looking for a new place to live.

You have Trouble Entertaining

If you love entertaining, then you’ll need to consider this if you’re unsure of whether you’ve outgrown your home. If you want the space to host more significant events and seat all of the guests comfortably, you may need to rethink your layout or move house altogether. If you have young kids, they may want to bring friends around and have sleepovers. Do you have room for this?

You Have More Money

Perhaps you’re in much better financial shape now than you were when you bought your home originally. If you’ve had a job promotion or come into some money some other way, you may want to look at homes for sale in an area that you like. Just ensure that you’ll be able to keep your new home should your circumstances change again. Consider every eventuality and have a cash cushion ready to be safe.

You Want To Have Pets

Perhaps you want to bring a pet or a few pets into the equation at some point, but you can’t right now because your space is limited or you don’t have a garden for them to roam in. Your priorities change as your wants and needs change, so you may not have considered whether your home was suitable for pets when you purchased it originally. You know what they say: a house isn’t a home isn’t a home without a dog!

Economic Factors

Not every reason you outgrow your home is going to be evident to you. Perhaps you need to take a closer look at the market in your area and in other areas to get an idea of whether this is the right thing for you to do. Perhaps you live in an area where forecasted home values are not increasing, or maybe even losing value. People may not want to live in your neighborhood anymore, so you might want to get out as soon as possible to get a decent price for your home. You don’t have control over the real estate asset value as a homeowner so make sure you pay attention to your neighborhood regularly so you know how the market is looking and the best next step for you to take. If you wait too long and the market hits a low, you’re not going to get anywhere near the price you’d like for your home.

You Find Yourself Looking For Somewhere Else To Live

If you find yourself looking for somewhere else to live, and imagining yourself living in another property, you’ve pretty much answered your question. You apparently have it somewhere in your head that you want to move, so this is a sure sign your home isn’t right for you anymore.

Do these signs tell you that you’ve outgrown your home? If they do, make sure you pay attention to the market, so you know the right time to put your home out there and find a new one! Good luck on finding the ideal property for you.

When we talk about personal health, the conversation will draw towards food and drink. But for years now, scientists have been conducting studies into how our living spaces can affect our health and well-being. Sure, we may not be physically ingesting our home. It’s not going to fill us with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. But it is the place where we spend the majority of our time and can have a massive impact on our overall lifestyle. So, here are a few areas of home design that can significantly affect us. We’ll give you a few ideas on how you can implement this information into your current property to your benefit!

Natural Light

Have you ever wondered why the majority of office spaces get flooded with natural light? Well, our bodies rely on the right amount of natural light at the right time of day to configure our internal body clocks. The more natural light you have access to, the more reliable your body clock will be and the more likely you are to get your full eight hours sleep. This process means you’ll be much more productive by day and recuperate better at night. So don’t allow offices and other professional spaces to hog this knowledge. Implement the logic into your own home. If you’re building your property from scratch, now is a better time than ever. Collaborate with your bim consulting firm to ensure that your home design has large enough windows to allow light to come in at all angles, or consider a large skylight. If you already have a property, it can always undergo renovations such as the implementation of French doors or windows on stairs or corridors to eliminate darkness.

Color Scheme

Color can have a profound impact on our mood. All sorts of companies use this to their advantage in advertising. Have you ever wondered why so many fast food chains use a red and yellow color scheme? These are the two colors that are said to invoke hunger. Black is worn to funerals because it is associated with somber moods. The list of examples could go on forever. So when it comes to your home, what colors should you paint the walls? Well, color theorists suggest that light, neutral tones are best. So stick with cream, magnolia, or white for your interiors. You can always brighten things up with a splash of bolder colors in your accessories. Katie from civilizedhealth.com agreed “color has a huge influence on how a room feels and setting the right mood for the room through color scheming can change the feel of your home.”

Open Space

Small spaces often have the effect of making people feel constrained or claustrophobic. We tend to be much more at ease in larger, more open areas. So, rather than having individual rooms for living, cooking, and dining, why not have a more open plan scheme for your home. This concept opens up space and allows more freedom of movement. This arrangement will make you feel more at home, removing sentiments of being cooped up and stifled, and encouraging relaxation rather than the buildup of tension!

Bearing just these three areas in mind when designing your home can improve your happiness, health, and well-being dramatically! So start incorporating them as soon as possible.

Everyone deserves to enjoy a relaxing holiday away from home, especially those who have a disability which prevents them from enjoying life as much as possible. However, for those that own a luxury rental, how can you ensure that the property is accessible without making drastic changes to the building? Whether your guest is a fan of 3 wheel scooters or the traditional wheelchair, they’re going to need a way to navigate themselves around your luxury rental, but with the landlord being so strict on the alterations that you can make, the task is usually quite challenging. Well, not anymore, as we have the best tips available for ensuring your luxury rental is as accessible as possible!

Have A Chair Lift Device For The Pool

Every luxury rental has a swimming pool, and nothing feels better than dipping yourself in one on a scorching hot day to cool down or mess around with your friends. For those with a disability though, this isn’t always possible, as stairs leading into the pool are impossible for them to use. Make their lives a little more comfortable by installing a chair lift device on the edge of the swimming pool, similar to those that you can install in the bathtub. This way, your guest can join in with the fun, but always ensure that the pool is shallow enough for them, as well as having inflatables that they can comfortably float around in.

Ensure They Can Enter The Garden Safely

It’s all well and right allowing your guest to have access to the pool, but what’s the point if they can’t access the outdoor space in the first place? If you have a doorway leading out into the garden, you need to ensure that those in a wheelchair or scooter can navigate themselves outside safely without any mishaps. This set-up is simple, as all you need to do, is invest in a small ramp to place over the step between the indoors and outdoors. Essentially, providing hospitality for someone suffering from disabilities is all about making them feel included and thought about, as this factor alone will make their time in the luxury rental ten times better.

Have A Bedroom & En-Suite Downstairs

If you have a luxury holiday rental, it’s possible that it’s multiple stories high. A broad, winding staircase may be a little daunting to those who struggle with mobility, so it might be a more practical idea to ensure that there is suitable accommodation for them on the ground floor. Naturally, your downstairs area will consist of a kitchen and living room, but if you have another room downstairs that’s occupied with random furniture, or is merely unoccupied, make this their sleeping area. Also, it’s paramount that there’s a bathroom downstairs, or at least a stair lift leading to upstairs, otherwise getting up in the night desperate for the toilet won’t end well for your guest. If you don’t have a spare room downstairs to convert into a bedroom, make the living space as cozy and welcoming as possible, as this will tell your disabled guest that you’ve put some hard thought in and tried your best to accommodate them.

Remove Some Clutter

Especially for those within a wheelchair or mobility scooter, there needs to be enough room in the luxury rental for them to maneuver themselves around safely. While that colossal Greek statue in the middle of the living space might look glamorous and classic, it isn’t going to be practical for those needing to spin around in a wheelchair, as this often requires a significant amount of surrounding space. Therefore, it would be wise to store away some of your unneeded clutter for now, as this way your guests will feel more confident using their mobility vehicle inside without damaging the property, or more importantly, themselves! Accommodating for your disabled guest really doesn’t have to be difficult, and with just a few small changes around your luxury rental, they will be able to have the best holiday in no time at all

Buying a home can be one of the most exciting parts of life, and is a celebratory milestone for many individuals. Whether you’re purchasing a property on your own or with a partner, there are a few things that you should know before you start the mortgage application process. Saving for the deposit can be the most challenging part of buying a home, but whether you’re using the help of a payday loan lender to cover your financial emergencies, or you’re tackling a new job with a different wage, you are sure to get to the final hurdle at some point. This process can be a daunting prospect, mainly if you’re purchasing your first home, so to provide you with a helping hand, we’ve put together a few best-kept secrets to help!

Keeping Your Money Where It Is

One of the things that many home buyers tend to do when it comes to their funds is to move it around to different accounts to take advantage of the best interest rates and perks. However, in the 3 to 6 months leading up to buying your property, you’re not going to want to take any additional chances when it comes to your credit profile. All mortgage lenders need to ensure that you are reliable with your money, and a steady paper trail can help to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible on your mortgage. If you’re building up too much debt in the time before buying your property, open numerous new credit cards or happen to become frivolous in your spending before purchasing your property, then you may find that your chances of getting the best deal on a mortgage will become limited. Don’t change your spending habits just because you are getting closer to your end goal. Stick to it and buy your home as planned.

Avoid Properties With Additional Sleeper Costs

When buying a new home, many new homeowners tend to just focus on how much the mortgage is going to cost them month-on-month, without considering any of the additional fees that come with the property. Aside from the broker fees and other charges that your lender will charge you merely for applying for a mortgage, your property itself will also have some fees month on month which you need to be aware of. These include property taxes, utilities, maintenance fees, repairs and in some cases even property tax increases!

Double Check Your Property ‘Under The Hood’

Just like you would with a new car, you need to ensure that a property inspector double checks every aspect of your home. While this can cost you an upfront fee (usually around $150-200), you’re much better off paying this money up-front than finding out your home has numerous issues in the future, such as damp, which are extremely costly to repair. This decision can save you thousands of pounds in the long-run so make sure that you have given your property a thorough check before committing to buy.

Don’t Run With Your Emotions

While this is much easier said than done, make sure you’re not buying a property solely because you’ve fallen in love with it. While it is important to love your property, its location and everything about it, you must also think about the future. Look at property’s potential as opposed to what it already has. It may need some renovation currently, but that will often mean your property will be cheaper to purchase in the first place. If you move into a property just because you fall in love with it from the moment you walk in the door, due to the way the current owners have decorated it or how the showroom has portrayed it, then you could be left with a broken heart.

Get Pre-Approved For Your Loan

While you may have already been pre-qualified for a loan, you are also going to need to ensure that you are pre-approved, to guarantee that you are not left disappointed at the final hurdle. Almost anyone can be pre-qualified for a loan as long as they meet the standard requirements, but being pre-approved won’t happen until the lender has looked through all of your financial information to determine how much they’re going to lend you to buy your property. Once you’ve been pre-approved, you can then start looking for properties that match your budget, as opposed to shopping around for homes that you can’t afford.