House Hunting Tips

Moving into a new home is never an easy task for any body. I have seen my family relocate about 5 times or more and none of the movements was simple rather they all came with great challenges which we luckily overcame. This is because it is very easy to get comfortable or used to a particular environment and it's peculiarities such that the uncertainty of a new location comes with some level of hesitancy or indecision.

Some of the things to look out for while getting a new home are

1. Proximity to work, school, market or other important venues of daily living; this is very high on the list because it would not only affect the cost of transport but also the time it takes to transit from one point to another on daily basis.

2. Availability of light in the area; it is sad that in this day and time, many places still do not have regular power supply and one has to be careful to not fall into an area where light comes once or twice in a week as this can lead to frustration with the incessant need to charge phones and other devices as well as refrigerate food, perform nightly activities. Also important is how the bills are paid, is it a prepaid meter or an estimated bills system? Both have their pros and cons so it's important to know which you will be meeting and whether you want to deal with such.

3. Water; another basic necessity which one must ensure is not lacking in a prospective home.

4. Relative or absolute cost;
   An important consideration is also the cost of the new apartment. Is it within your budget?
   Most times, because of inflation, chances are that the new house will always be more expensive than the former coupled with new fees like agency and legal fees. One has to ensure that the cost of the house is worth it in terms of proximity to major road, light, water and even aesthetics of the building.
   This is an important consideration to avoid paying exorbitant prices for a low value house.

In addition to all these, it's also important than during house hunting, one involves a close friend or relative so as to get a second opinion and deliberate together on the suitability of each house.
This is to avoid making mistakes or falling into the hands of scammers because by having a companion, one person may spot what the other did not spot.

It saves one the stress of paying and requesting for a refund few weeks after because of a discovery that should have been sorted out ab initio.

In some environments, it's also very important to find out the history of flooding in the area. This is the case in place with rivers and poor drainage system inorder to avoid moving into a house that will lead to catastrophe during the rainy season.

It's also ok to enquire from prospective neighbours about the house you are thinking of renting. Is it good? Are there complaints from former occupants? The landlord or caretaker, are they problematic?
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