If you are in the market for a new place for you and your family, then you may find it easier to get through the home shopping process if you have a checklist to follow. This article will serve as that helpful checklist that you can follow:

Know the absolute max you can spend: It doesn't matter how much you were approved for, you want to be sure you set your own max when it comes to the price you can pay for a home, even if your own max is less than your pre-approval rate. You may also be able to pay more than you were approved for if you are able to come up with the extra cash on your own.

Know the minimum and maximum square footage you will be comfortable with: You can use the square footage of your current home to help determine what the right square footage would be. Is your place too small, just right or even a little big? When deciding on square footage, keep in mind that going too big isn't always good since it will be more to maintain physically and financially.

Decide on the minimum size lot you want: Along with moving in the right sized single family house, you also want to go with the right sized lot. If you purchase a home on a lot that is really too small for what you had hoped to do with it, then you won't be able to add to your land in the future like you can a house.

Decide on the must-have amenities: Make a list of what you must-have in a house and only include the things that you will not want to compromise on. Some examples of amenities you may really want include a minimum number of bedrooms, a minimum number of bathrooms, a garage, a fireplace, a swimming pool, and more.

Know what you want in the surrounding area: If you don't put any thought into the neighborhood you move into, then you may find yourself really disappointed once your family moves in the house and you aren't happy with the area in which you have decided to move. Know some of the important things you want from a neighborhood and look for those things while you are also checking out a house. Some of the things you may want to check into include the shopping that's nearby, the quality of the schools that are in that district and the crime statistics for that neighborhood.

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