First-time home buying tips

You've decided to buy a home. Before sitting down with Steve Wiggett, here are a few things to think about:

* Priorities
Where and what you buy will affect your life for as long as you own the house, so get your priorities in order. Make a "buying blueprint" based on your needs and wants -- and what's available in the marketplace. If you need 3 bedrooms, put that on the list. If you want a pool, list that too. You can always refine your list when you get down to talking "hard numbers" with Steve.

* Location, location, location
Do you like city life or suburbia? The unhurried pace of village life or the country? Are you a gardener? A theatre goer? Consider the totality of your life when pinpointing the location of your home to be.

* A house to complement your lifestyle
Survey your options. Which works best for your current and projected lifestyle? New homes come with warranties and are built to contemporary standards. You won't get full-grown trees and a neighbourhood with instant character when you buy new, but you will get vitality and a chance to grow with your new community.

Resale homes are more likely to have established lawns and gardens . . . and they will probably have done all their shrinking and settling. However, there may need to be repairs done and the decorating may not be to your taste.

Townhouses and condominiums often mean sharing common walls, hallways, landscaping and parking areas. They're great if you don't want to be bothered with general maintenance or repairs (a maintenance company usually handles all this on behalf of homeowners). But you will also become a voting member of the condo corporation and pay a monthly fee to maintain common areas.

Rural and small town properties are often less expensive than properties in the City. Balance this off against commuter costs and the fact that community services may be more limited.

Proximity to school is very important for young families. Older areas often provide more types of schools. Check to ensure the specific program you need -- Special Education or French Immersion, for example -- is available.

Taste and personal preference count too, but don't allow taste to blind you to a home's other features. Set your priorities in order of importance, stick to them and you'll be more likely to find the home of your dreams. And look to the future. A number of factors may have an impact on what your property will be worth in the future. For example, construction of a highway, of the adequacy of municipal services such as water, sewage and roads, and be sure to ask Steve about any zoning bylaws that may limit additions or renovations.

Contact Steve Wiggett
Ph: (519) 661-0380    Cell: (519) 852-5257    Toll Free: (866) 339-0033
Fax:(519) 661-0998    Email: steve@londonroyallepage.com
Royal LePage Triland Realty 235 North Centre Road, London, ON N5X 437