Looking to buy a new home? Avoid making these common homebuyer mistakes that you might regret later! Don’t be stuck with a home you’re not happy with. Imagine having buyer’s remorse after moving into your new home!
Things Homebuyers Regret After Buying Their House
1. Rushing to Buy a House
One of the biggest mistakes that homebuyers make is rushing into buying a house. They put pressure on themselves to make a quick decision. Sometimes, they might be in a hurry because they fear that mortgage rates will go up, or they might be in a highly competitive market where they feel compelled to buy the first home they win a bid on because they are tired of losing out on every other home they’ve bid on.
Or they are feeling exhausted from house hunting, or they might be in a hurry because their lease is expiring soon, and they have a deadline to meet. However, these are not good reasons to rush into buying a house and are likely to lead to regret in the long run.
Buying a house should not be a hasty decision. If you’re feeling tired, it’s okay to take a break from house hunting. Also, if your lease is expiring soon, it’s better to renew it for a little longer so that you can have more time to look for the perfect home.
2. The Entertaining Space is too Small
One of the mistakes that homebuyers make is buying a house where the entertaining space is too small for them. If you like to entertain, you have to think of the flow when you have a party at home. Is your kitchen big enough for entertaining? Does it flow nicely to your living room and kitchen? What about your patio space? Is it conducive to entertaining? These are the things you should consider if you love to entertain at home or else you will regret buying your house.
3. Maintenance is too Expensive
It’s a common mistake for homebuyers to buy a home that is too expensive to maintain. As a real estate agent, I often see first time homebuyers make the mistake of buying a house with a yard that’s too big for them to handle. Having a large yard can be a hassle and expensive if you don’t have the time and money to maintain it.
Aside from a big yard, other things can add up to make home maintenance expensive, such as the type of siding. If you buy a house with wood siding instead of vinyl siding, maintenance can become expensive. With wood siding, you’ll need to repaint your home every few years, which can cost over $10,000 each time. While with vinyl siding, you never have to repaint it, and it always looks new.
4. Not Enough Bathrooms
One mistake that many homebuyers regret making is buying a house without enough bathrooms. They often get too caught up in the aesthetic features of the home and fail to consider whether the home is practical for their family’s needs.
It is only after they move in that they realize the house is not suitable for them, as it does not have enough bathrooms to accommodate everyone living in the house. As a result, mornings can become frustrating, and their daily lives suffer.
5. Thinking They Will Make Renovations
One common mistake that homebuyers make is buying a house despite knowing about a major flaw. They buy the house convincing themselves that they can renovate and fix it later on.
But this decision can lead to regret. Once they start living in the house, they realize that renovating a house is not as easy as they thought, especially when they are still living inside it. Sometimes, the cost of renovation is way more than they expected.
For example, some homebuyers buy a house with not enough bathrooms, thinking they can add one later. However, once they move in, they find out that adding a bathroom is not as straightforward as they imagined.
They may face permit issues, like their septic tank not being able to accommodate another bathroom. Also, the cost and hassle of adding a bathroom could be more significant than they anticipated, leading to disappointment and frustration. Ultimately, they end up with a home that is not suitable for their needs.
6. Not Enough Parking in Driveway
One common mistake that many homebuyers make is that they overlook the importance of having enough parking space in the driveway of their new house. First time homebuyers are often so focused on the interior of the house that they forget to consider how the driveway will impact their daily life.
For example, a homebuyer may choose a house on a busy street and only realize after moving in that there isn’t enough parking for their two cars and the babysitter’s car. And if they have guests over, there may not be enough parking spots available for their friends.
7. Home is Inconveniently Located
One common mistake that homebuyers make is buying a house that is inconveniently located. For example, some people buy a house that is too far from their office. They might buy a house because it meets all of their other requirements, such as good schools, beautiful interiors, and stunning curb appeal. But their commute to the office is long.
Even if they initially think they can live with the long commute, the truth is the long and tiring commute takes a toll on their well-being. They are better off, taking their time to search for a house closer to work, rather than settling for a place that is too far away.
8. No Front Porch
One common mistake made by homebuyers is buying a house without a covered front door. This is often overlooked by first-time buyers, but it can significantly impact their daily lives.
Imagine receiving a package that is soaked through because of the rain. Having a sheltered front porch would prevent this from happening, keeping packages dry and protected. Without it, packages would be at the mercy of the elements, and you would be left to deal with soggy packages if it happens to rain.
9. Hard to Get Out Driveway
Homebuyers often regret buying a house with a difficult-to-navigate driveway. For example, if your house is on a busy street, but you need to back out of your driveway, it can be quite a daunting task.
Also, if you need to make a left turn onto a busy street, you might end up wasting a lot of time waiting for an opening in traffic. Especially during the morning rush hour, this can be a frustration that affects your daily routine. Before you buy a house, it’s important to consider the ease of entering and exiting the home to avoid making this mistake.
10. Annoying Things That Affect Their Daily Life
Many homebuyers make the mistake of buying a house without considering external factors that can annoy them. For example, they might buy a house a few blocks away from a train station, and only after moving in do they realize that the train’s noise can be heard from their home.
Or they may overlook the fact that there is a 24/7 gas station nearby, making their home abnormally bright at night. Also, they may not have noticed that they can see the back of their neighbor’s yard from their bedroom, including all the junk that they leave there!
When homebuyers focus too much on the interior of the house, they neglect to see the outside factors that can significantly impact their daily life.
That’s why, it is important to look at the surroundings of your potential home before buying it. Take a walk around the house. Look out the windows. Go drive by at night. See if there is anything about the house that you’ll find annoying!
Home Buying Checklists Printable
Get your 9 page home buying checklists printable. Stay organized and well-prepared throughout the entire home buying process with these useful checklists.
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