How do you know if you’ve found the right home?

Most people only spend a few minutes in a home before they decide they want to buy it. More often than not, the decision to buy is based purely on emotion, a feeling they get when they first walk through the home.

The old saying that first impressions are lasting impressions is true. The home you buy will be the one that makes you go “wow” the moment you walk through the door, you will feel an immediate attraction to it. It is a feeling you get that tells you that this is the one. People really do buy with their hearts.

The first thoughts you have when you enter a home are often the right ones.

It is important, however, not to lose sight of the fact that buying a home is a huge financial commitment. You will be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for an asset and locked into a loan for many years. Reasoning and logic need to come into the buying process after the heartstrings have been touched.

Before you make that commitment, you should arrange to have another inspection of the property. This time walk through the home with a more practical perspective and make sure that it really does meet your needs. If it does, and it still has the right feel about it, then you have found the right home.

One final thing to always keep in mind is to not overextend yourself financially. Buy within your means and allow yourself a buffer, to ensure your family home is secure in the event of your personal circumstances changing or outside factors, such as further interest rate increases.

BY PAUL KOUNNAS