How To Buy A Home Without The Heartache

What are some of the most difficult and emotionally stressful experiences in any person's life? To name the top four:

??? ?The death of a loved one.

??? ?Divorce.

??? ?Changing jobs.

??? ?Buying or selling a home.

Does the last point really belong in this list? Yes, it does. Ask anyone who has ever bought (or attempted to buy) his dream home. There is a lot of insecurity involved in such an operation. People ask themselves a lot of questions when buying or selling a house:

"Are we doing the right thing?"

"Is this the right time?"

"Is this the right place? I liked the other one better."

The stress of moving to a new location also counts. You say good-bye familiar surroundings and neighbors, say hello to a strange area full of strangers, and incur enormous expenses.

What about selling a residence? Apart from the above-mentioned questions, you have some new ones, such as:

"Will the new owners take care of our lovely home?"

"How will the old neighbors react to them?".

Doing It Right - Easy Does It, But Do It

When the time finally comes to sell your old home and buy a new one, you have little choice but to be brave and go through with it. The experience of buying a home need not be as stressful as it often is.

Planning the process carefully gives you a psychological edge, removing a lot of the strangeness and frustration. It also makes sense in two other significant respects:

??? ?Buying a home will probably be the most expensive purchase you will ever make.

??? ?It is not something most people do often, so most of us don't have the slightest idea of how to proceed.

The process of locating and ultimately purchasing a new home should be based on planning and patience. It is alright to buy clothes, toys and other inexpensive things on impulse - but buying a home on impulse spells disaster.

Conducting a carefully organized market survey can result in considerable savings, both in matters of finance and heartache. The best way of doing this is to contact a real estate agent, place your requirements and budget before him, and allow him to conduct the search.

You can actively assist him in this, but should always follow his instructions and guidelines. New homes should be bought with the head, not the heart. A property consultant will always have more perspective than you in this matter.

Another aspect of effective home buying is considering all the expenses involved - not just the price of the new residence. There will be a lot of extra costs to consider - stamp duty, legal costs, packing and moving, housing loan, EMIs (if you have taken a housing loan), etc.

Preparing for all expenses gives you a clearer idea of what you are doing, whether or not you can afford it, and in which areas you may have to restrict spending money for a while after the home is bought.

All things considered, proper planning will put you more in control of the situation, making the stress of home buying easier to handle.

Finally, a word of caution on selling your home on the property market. Residences are usually sold through professional middlemen - real estate consultants and agents - and the deal is an important one for you in all respects.

You should know that there are real estate agents that do not follow a professional code of business ethics. Such agents are not legally certified and authorized to conduct property transactions, and usually rely on a small, personal network of contacts to buy and sell properties.

Dealing with an uncertified estate agent is a dangerous thing to do, since he is not answerable to anyone in matters of professional conduct. In other words, he can cheat you and get away with it.

Check the certification of your estate consultant carefully before entrusting the sale of your house to him. The best way to find out whether your estate agent is reliable is to ensure that he is a registered member of the local real estate agencies' board.

arunchitnis.com Arun Chitnis is a professional content and copywriter, proof-reader and editor. He wields his pen on a diverse range of topics, but his primary areas of interest are medical and lifestyle issues, family dynamics, lovingyourchild.com parenting, natural health, home improvement, real estate, humor and fiction. He currently resides in Mumbai, India with his wife and his motorcycle. To date, there has not been a conflict of interest.