I'm not sure if when you asked about advice on purchasing a home if you also meant how to decide which home to purchase so I'm going to assume that's what you meant since we women like to talk about those things anyway. I would suggest you purchase a home you can grow into. We were so overwhelmed by the cost of the home that we only got what we could "afford" at the time (my husband and I are extrememly conservative when it comes to money) not taking into consideration raises and bonuses so we got into something quite a bit smaller than I would have liked.
Do you know what you want? Rambler, multi-level, two story, split-entry level? How many bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.? Do you want your laundry on the main level, just as you come in from the garage, in the basement or upstairs with all the bedrooms?
How your family likes to spend time together determines what kind of a home you purchase as well. Do you want your home to be one that your kids can bring their friends home to when they are teen-agers? Do you like to entertain? Do you take in a lot of company that stay overnight? Do you like to spend a lot of time outside? Do you like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen? Do you like to spend a lot of time in the family room? This may seem silly but make sure that the home you purchase has a place that you can call your own so you can go there on days when you've just had it.
Extra storage is a must! Do you have so much stuff that you'll need a third or fourth car garage or will a two car garage do? Do you plan on purchasing an RV or other "toys" in the future? That would mean you'd want to see if you can get something with an RV pad on the side of the house or at least have space on the side of the house to add one later. Do you want a shed in the back yard?
Will your home/yard accomadate pets? Is your yard fenced? How much time you are willing to invest in your yard? Some people buy their homes and are so enamoured by their home that they completely forget about the yard and then when they move in are completely overwhelmed - yards can be altered once you move in but sometimes that costs money so is that something you're willing to spend your money on? (I personally would rather spend my money on new furnishings and decorating so that is a big factor to me) Depending on where you live, I would strongly suggest getting a yard with a sprinkling system.
You'll also want to ask things like have they replaced the water heater yet - because it will go out, it's just a matter of when. Ask them how much they spend on electricity and gas a year. I would also ask about their water bill. At the moment I can't really think of anything else but this is something to start with. You just want to make sure you are happy with what you get so the more information you have the better you'll be able to accomplish that goal. One last thing, make sure you get everything that you want in writing!
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
Do you have advice for buying your first home?
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