December 30, 2017 Posted in Looking for a Home
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

10 House Hunting Tips You Need to Know About

Are you in the process of buying a new home? Then here are some house hunting tips to share and make this task easier for you. From figuring out your financial framework to choosing your new home, these tips cover every step of the way. Stick to our short guide, and you won’t have any problems with your search for the perfect new home to buy for yourself and your family.

Two people shaking hands overlay
There are some factors you should consider before buying real estate.

House Hunting Tips for the Preparatory Process

You’ve found the best time of the year to move, but before you start looking at real estate ads and searching for the right house for yourself, there are some things you need to take care of. The preparatory process is just as important as house hunting itself, so be sure you pay attention to every detail of relocation day preparation.

What to Do with Your Old Home – Find out Its Market Value

Have you decided what to do with your old home yet? Are you going to rent it out or will you be putting it up for sale? Perhaps a mortgage could be the best option? If you’re not sure yet, it is crucial that you make this decision as soon as possible. Your choice could significantly impact your budget, and therefore your search for the right property, and eventually the buying process itself.

house in the Frisco overlay
Whether you’re going to sell your house or mortgage it, consider a market offer and create market buyer listings.

Start Saving Up for the House on Time

Speaking of the budget, it would be wise to start saving up for the purchase as early on as possible, especially if you’re moving to another state alone. Consider finding a job before moving to another state to ease the transition process financially. Create a household inventory list and check out some moving day tips on how to reduce costs when moving as well as packing tips and tricks. For instance, you can easily find free boxes and some other packing materials for moving. Another way to save up is to find cost-effective auto shipping services in case you need to transport your car across the country. The expenses of selling and buying a home can really add up, especially when you take into consideration that you will have to deal with issues related:

  • The pays for your realtor
  • The expenses for ads to sell your old place
  • The downpayment preparations
  • To cover travel costs if you’re looking at homes in another location

Another good piece of advice is to learn how to make an inventory for moving insurance, just in case.

Move With Confidence Get Free Quote

Figure out Where You Want to Live Your Life

When it’s finally time to move, you should first decide where you would like to relocate, depending on what are your reasons to move. Maybe you want a city with a high-quality public transportation system, a place with exceptional employment opportunities (if you’re relocating for a job), or you highly value the safety of your future neighborhood?  If this choice is proving to be harder than you thought and it starts causing you to feel relocation anxiety or even moving stress, we suggest that you take our Where Should I Move Quiz and let it guide you toward a final decision.

moving cross country for love is great but be aware of all costs when planning it overlay
Start saving on time and you will be able to buy property of your dreams.

Determine Your Budget

So you’ve sold or rented out your old home and you’ve managed to save up some money by selling or donating unwanted items. Perhaps you also took out a loan. What does it all add up to? Next on your relocating to another state checklist should be determining strict and realistic financial resources that you can stick to – it will help you avoid getting relocation depression. Buying outside of your budget limits could severely impact your financial state.

Prioritize Your New Home Must-Haves

It’s finally time to start thinking about what your new house should look like. Speak with your family members and share your thoughts and opinions on that topic. What are the things you absolutely can’t imagine in your life? For example, if you are moving with a dog, a backyard should probably be high up on your list of priorities if you’re relocating to the suburbs. Make sure you figure out what your absolute must-haves are, as opposed to personal preferences that you could live without. Keep in mind that it is practically impossible to find a house that has absolutely everything you need, so be ready to compromise.

pick the right house before moving cross country overlay
What are the features you can't live without, make sure your new property has them.

Hire a Real Estate Agent

One of the things to consider when relcoating to a new state is hiring a reliable real estate agent. Without one, your house hunt could turn a little bit too chaotic to handle. However, not every real estate agent is worth hiring. Here’s how to find a good one to help you with the buying process and share his professional experience and knowledge with you.

Ask Around for Recommendations

Have you met anyone who has hired a real estate agent before? What were their experiences? Do they have any recommendations? Ask them to share with you their experiences.

Do Your Research

Once you’ve put together a list of recommended agents, do your research on each of them. Do they have online reviews? If so, what are the people saying? Don’t hire anyone before researching them thoroughly, that’s one of the common moving mistakes to beware of.

When It Comes to Real Estate Issues, Follow Your Gut

Of course, as with anything else in life, it is important to listen to your instinct as well. If he cannot guide you and assist you in marketing and purchasing property for the right price under the best terms, don’t make a crucial mistake by choosing him, but keep on looking.

use both laptop and mobile phone to research on cross country movers in your area overlay
When choosing a realtor, find out his pre-experiences with other buyers.

Search for Popular Real Estate Websites

The most efficient way of finding a prospective home for you as a buyer is by looking at ads online. Websites such as Zillow and Trulia have a wide array of options within all price ranges and geographical areas.

preparing for long distance moving with your beloved one is one of the most beautiful life experiences overlay
Use the internet to find a perfect home.

Visit Homes in Person

Regardless of how detailed an ad is or how many photos there are, nothing can come close to visiting a property in person. If you’re moving long-distance, this can prove to be a bit of a challenge, but it is definitely worth the effort. In-person, you will be able to get a better feeling for the size of the place, as well as pay attention to things that might not have been photographed, such as signs of water damage or mold, and eventually decide whether to buy it or not. That being said, for buyers, the best help could be visiting the location in person and gaining pre-experience.

Create a Shortlist

Now that you’ve visited a few homes, it is time to create a shortlist of those you’d want to buy and could picture yourself living in. Scratch off the ones that don’t meet your must-have needs, as well as those that exceed your budget. With these listings, you’ll have a clear picture of what houses other people want to sell and what you, actually, like as a buyer. If you and your partner are moving in together make sure you communicate and create a shortlist of homes you can both picture yourself living in.

girl creating a checklist overlay
With the shortlist it will be easy to figure out what kind of property you need.

Compare Prices and Expenses

The next step is to compare the prices of the homes you’ve shortlisted. However, don’t forget to compare living expenses as well. Moving into a smaller home that you’d buy at a lower price could end up costing you more than a more expensive one if utilities and other fees are higher. Create a list on a piece of paper and don’t be afraid to do some pre-math concepts.

Dollar bills overlay
Create pre-calculations for your prospective home adding the best offer to your listings.

Make a Decision

All things considered, which property seems to be the perfect choice for you? It’s time to make the decision, place your offer, and buy the property. And if you’re having trouble choosing, don’t hesitate to ask your friends or family for some advice.

get your house keys before moving cross country overlay
Final decision is up to you.

Start a New Chapter of Your Life

When it comes to property purchasing, you are going to face a plethora of pre-steps you should perform before the final buying. You should prepare a list with key points related to mortgage issues (speaking about your old residence), a new offer, realtor services, and terms you must be familiar with.

Be open to hear other people’s experiences and let them share with you all the interesting details. To sell or buy a property requires patience, money, and great organization about all possible dilemmas. However, if you’re satisfied with the location, your neighborhoods, and the final price, create a moving budget, find the cheapest way to move out of state or even the cheapest time of the year to relocate, change the address. When you do it will be easy to hire a cross country moving company that will help you make your dream come true.

QUICK MOVING ESTIMATE

    Download as PDF Moving Checklist
    Get a Free Estimate 877-888-0708