Make a wishlist before you start. Are you together, then first do this separately before adding them together. Try to look further than just filling in empty spaces while doing so. Determine clearly what the house, that turns into a home, would require to provide you with. Then put your list in the right order, determining which is most important.

Decide before you start your journey, how much your finances will and can be depleted. Often people do this after they find a house. Sometimes, this means a disappointment because financing the home of your dreams doesn’t seem to be (fully) possible. Also, before starting you have more time to do these things such as comparing the mortgage constructions and make decisions that are thought through. When a home has been found, there will be no stress left when it comes to financial possibilities or constructions. The only thing left at that point is an administrative wrap-up that will more than often, by preparing in such manners, go smooth.

When a house seems to suit you, go view it at least a second time. During such a second visit you will see different things than during your first. Emotions can be a good counselor. This is how every love starts. But before deciding to get into any longterm relationship, it’s good to also think rationally about it. This is why it’s good to go back to the formulated points as you wrote your wishes down before you started. Check if they are still valid, but mainly how the house in view is going to fulfill those wishes.

First make sure you have done proper research on a plan of destination, cadastral data, soil quality reports, the state of engineering, factors of everything surrounding your home, schools, etc. Ask yourself the question; Is my expertise sufficient looking at these elements? It might be the most expensive purchase you will do in your life, and by hiring an expert you also place a bit of risk on their shoulders instead of your own. Even with newly build buildings there will often be some problem with engineering. Only they mostly don’t show until you are the owner.

Don’t take renovating and renewing lightly. You don’t want to see yourself ending up on TV in some dramatic building show. The cost of improving anything can sometimes quickly escalate. Also, foresee those costs that are not immediately visible. When researching possibilities work thoroughly. Get information at the source. Indications such as ”I believe” often point towards people who fill in the blanks according to what they believe instead of facts. When in hindsight it seems that you, the buyer, had things in mind that are not allowed, then you are basically screwed.

Always realize that the selling real estate agent, even if he seems like a very nice guy, is hired by the selling party and obviously has his own interests. Besides that, this selling party’s agent is for those unfamiliar to the real estate world, no fair match. After all, this person has tons of experience and knowledge and is focussed on making the best deal.

Before you start negotiating, let a specialist do an appraisal. Of course, you have your own view on things. But you do question your own expertise. How experienced am I to see the right estimated value? After reading a medical magazine or even after finishing a first-aid course, you will still prefer to go to a doctor when you’re sick. An appraisal report, and preferably a purchase appraisal gives you, the buyer, more insight in the real market value, but besides that a lot more insight in the structure and engineering, and everything that comes with it. This also gives you a proper base for negotiating.

Before negotiating, clearly, state what the framework is for the cost as well as the terms. It’s obvious that for a specialist, whose daily work it is to read such documents and put them to good use, can value such frameworks a lot.

Make sure that any offer involving money and terms is always put on paper. Better, make the offer itself only on paper. An agreement to buy requires a lot of extra information to be filled in. All this information should be put in legal watertight clauses. Don’t forget the selling agent is in service of the seller.

Don’t base your choice of a notary on money but on quality. It seems unimportant, but nothing is less true. Good quality doesn’t have to be expensive. Bad quality is always costly. Get to know the notary before doing business, and decide if any other business (testament/living together, etc.) need to be taken care off. Ask a price for the total package you want.