Buying a new home is an exciting experience and can leave a dent in your pocket if you do not prepare for additional costs. The good news is that there are steps you can take to lower your closing costs and overall housing expenses once you move in.
Home inspection
A home inspection is a good idea.
You can do the inspection yourself or hire a professional. The latter will cost more but will be worth it if you don’t know what to look for in your new home. A thorough home inspection should include an exterior evaluation of the building and its systems (roofing, heating/cooling, electrical), interior evaluations of major structural components such as ceilings and walls, an assessment of plumbing fixtures and appliances (including water heaters), mechanical equipment (elevators) and landscaping features like sprinkler systems.
Check the basement and crawl space. The foundation should be solid, with no cracks in the concrete or brick; cracks could indicate water damage or shifting soil.
The basement should have waterproof walls and a drain on the floor. Check for mould or mildew on the walls and ceilings, indicating moisture problems. The crawl space should be clean and dry; water seeping into this area could damage your home’s foundation.
You have an advantage if you buy an apartment from a real estate developer. For instance, Eden Heights has professionals who assist you with the home inspection and ensure that you have a thorough look at the property you are buying. You can make inquiries about any of their apartments by visiting here.
Loan origination fee
The loan origination fee is a one-time fee that your lender will request. Lenders can (and do) waive this charge, but they’re not legally required to. The purpose of the loan origination fee is to cover administrative costs associated with processing your mortgage application, but it provides lenders with little profit.
The amount of each loan origination fee varies by lender and product type – so be sure to ask! While some lenders include their fees in your monthly payments, others ask buyers to pay them upfront when they close their home purchase.
Because you don’t want to pay any more than what’s necessary (and because there are ways around paying), consider negotiating with your lender at closing and asking if they’d be willing to lower or remove these charges from the contract altogether—which could save you thousands over time!
The good news is that you can negotiate this fee with your lender. It’s not uncommon for lenders to waive their origination fees, especially if you’re a repeat customer or they already have a strong relationship with you. So, if you plan on buying another home shortly, consider asking your current lender if they’d be willing to lower or remove this charge from the contract.
Property taxes
Property taxes are a fixed percentage of the home’s value and can be paid annually or monthly. When buying a home, it is crucial to understand your municipality’s property tax rates. Property tax rates vary by municipality and county and can be influenced by the local tax rate.
Sometimes, the property tax rate can change yearly if the municipality needs more revenue. Property tax rates are determined by local governments and can be influenced by several factors, including population growth, inflationary pressures, and state budget constraints.
As with any other cost associated with homeownership, be sure to factor property taxes into your budget when considering whether it makes sense for you to buy rather than rent. For example: if paying down a mortgage would mean giving up some things that are important to you now (and having them taken care of by someone else), then saving up for those expenses might be better than simply throwing away money each month on rent payments.
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when deciding between renting and buying. If you’re still unsure which option is best for you, consider talking with a financial advisor who can help guide you through the process.
Moving costs
It’s hard to know exactly how much it will cost to move, but there are a few factors that can help you get an idea:
• The distance of the move. Moving across town is far less expensive than moving across the country (and vice versa).
• Where you’re moving. Suppose you’re moving from a small city to a major metropolis or from one side of town to another. In that case, your costs will be higher—for example, because there’s more competition for apartments and houses in larger cities (and therefore higher prices), as well as increased transportation costs if you need to commute longer distances.
• How many people are involved in the move? Suppose it’s just one person relocating on their own. In that case, they can probably do without hiring movers—but if multiple people in your household are relocating with their belongings, hiring professional movers may be worth considering so that everyone gets settled more easily once they reach their destination.
Whether or not you have a car. Moving without a vehicle means you’ll need to pay extra for transportation. Whether that means renting a truck (which is often more expensive than hiring professional movers)
If you are moving across the country, it’s vital to consider how far away your new home is from family and friends who might help with some of the work or provide assistance at different times during the move. Moving costs, in general, can also be higher if you have a large family or are moving with pets. In addition to paying for movers, additional fees may be associated with getting them set up at their new place (such as deposits on utilities). This could increase your overall expenses substantially!
Utilities
• Water
• Gas
• Electric
• Trash and recycling
• Cable or satellite TV
These are all the utilities you’ll need to plan for when buying a home, but they can vary greatly depending on where you live. For example, some states have higher water or energy costs than others. In general, these will be your biggest monthly expense after housing. It would be best to investigate how much each utility costs before making an offer on a home so that you can factor this into your budget and determine whether it still makes sense to buy in that area. It may be tempting to look for cheap houses that don’t include utilities in the purchase price and other amenities (such as pools), but keep in mind that those systems must be maintained continuously by someone. If you’re paying for them over time through higher utility bills, those “free” amenities will cost more than originally anticipated!
• Utilities: Water, gas, electricity, and trash collection are often the largest monthly expense in a household. You’ll want to be sure you can afford them before purchasing. The good news is that utilities can vary greatly depending on where you live, so it’s worth checking the rates for your area before making an offer on a property. If possible, consider whether utilities are included in the mortgage or will be paid for by you after closing (or both).
• Cable TV and internet access: If your current home has these services bundled together—known as “triple-play” packages—you may be able to transfer them onto your new property contract with no additional fees taken out of whatever price tag they have put on it. However, if this isn’t possible or feasible because there are already too many people living together under one roof (which would make splitting up cable bills extremely difficult), try calling around to see if there’s any way they could help lower their prices, so they’re not charging more than what they need themselves!
Home maintenance and repairs
When you buy a home, you’ll want to ensure it’s in good shape and a tenantable condition. After all, you don’t want to be stuck with an expensive repair bill when the house starts falling apart.
The best way to keep your home in good condition is by spending a portion of your time and money on maintenance. If you don’t do this regularly, minor problems can become big ones, and that’s not fun for anyone involved!
To prevent this from happening, consider setting aside a little bit of money each month for repairs and maintenance on your new property. It’s also crucial to find a company that does quality work at reasonable prices so that maintaining your home doesn’t cost more than necessary (or at least doesn’t appear so). To be much more on the safer side, plan your maintenance. Those who reside in apartments enjoy the services of professional property managers who ensure their properties are in good shape. For instance, Eden Heights ensure that maintenance of works in any of the newly built apartments are handled by professional timely. This alleviates the headaches of having to fix it yourself.
Homeowner’s Insurance
Homeowner’s insurance is a type of insurance that covers the cost of damages to your home and its contents if they are lost or damaged by an accident, natural disaster, or theft. It also provides liability coverage in case someone is injured on your property.
Homeowner’s insurance is required by law in most states and countries and comes with several options for what else it will cover (such as flood damage). The most basic homeowner’s insurance policy covers personal property; more expensive policies can provide higher coverage amounts.
Some people wait until they’ve moved into their new house before purchasing.
To conclude, buying a home is an exciting event for many people. However, it can also be an expensive one! Make sure you plan for the costs of buying your new home by researching and budgeting in advance.
If you are considering securing any dream apartment in Accra, Eden heights are at the forefront of modern, convenient, and striking architectural development. If you want to feel what modern Ghanaian housing is, Visit here for more info.