Finding Accessible Homes: Keep Your Home Purchase Stress-Free
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Purchasing a new home is a major process, but it can be even more stressful when you need to find an accessible home. While moving and house hunting are always stressful, you can make it less stressful in these few easy steps presented below by real estate professional Karen Boos.
Learn the Process
The house-hunting process is more straightforward when you understand what to look for in accessible homes. Before you begin, be clear about your budget. Know how much you are willing to put down on a home and the type of mortgage you want to enter into. You have to pay to obtain the house and maintain and pay your mortgage every month.
Once you have a set budget, start to think about your wishlist and what you can afford to have. There may be some features of the property that you cannot compromise on and others that you may add to the property later. Make a list of how many bedrooms you need, the square footage you prefer, the school district, and the proximity to businesses, hospitals, or work. Before hiring a real estate agent like Karen Boos, you may want to be pre-approved for a home loan.
Keep Renovations in Mind
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, there are various ways to renovate a home for accessibility. An accessible building allows you to move independently within your home. Some common ways to increase accessibility in a home include:
Installing more lighting, especially in high traffic areas
Installing handrails on steps and in the shower or bathroom
Installing alarms that flash and make loud noises
You may have to have the renovations completed after you purchase the home in many cases. Think about the remodeling plans as you walk through the property to determine if a house is adequate. Would the modifications be easy to install? You do not want to end up paying more on remodeling than you would on purchasing a home that was already accessible.
You may need to consider purchasing a home as-is. Before buying a home as-is, make sure you have adequate protection. Consulting with a real estate lawyer can ensure that your rights as the buyer are protected. In addition, obtain land records to check for any red flags that may make the purchase a wrong choice.
Know the Red Flags
Before you buy a home, there are red flags that you want to avoid. Some problems go beyond superficial issues that you can easily remodel or update. For example, cracks in the foundation can compromise the home's structural integrity. If there are horizontal cracks more than a quarter-inch wide, it may require an expensive repair or result in severe problems for the property. Mold in the foundation and low spots in the yard may also indicate a drainage problem.
To ensure your home's safety, you need to have a home inspection. Inspectors can detect issues that compromise your home's structural integrity and security. Even if you know some red flags, it is easy to miss things when you aren't a professional inspector. Inspectors can notice small details that those with an untrained eye would easily miss.
Research Home Warranties
Home repairs can quickly become an expensive endeavor, especially if you’re hit with a few all at once. This is where a good home warranty comes into play. By purchasing a home warranty, you’ll have protection in case something breaks down, whether it's a kitchen appliance or your heating and air system. Here’s the best part: home warranties work alongside your home insurance, so you won’t have to choose one over the other. To get started, find some home warranty reviews to read and start doing some comparison shopping.
To find the right home that meets your accessibility needs, you need to know what to look for and how to prepare for purchasing a new home. While you may find homes that meet all of your specifications, you may need to make modifications in some cases.