Newlyweds equate to over half of first time home buyers. It makes sense! A home can bring two of your places and lives together and make it one. If you and your spouse are ready to fall in love with the perfect house together, here are five tips to make sure the process goes smoothly, and you come prepared.
1. YOUR WEDDING BUDGET: Always keep in mind your wedding is a one-time event that shouldn't be less than what you'd imagine. It's a beautiful time to put all of your dream pieces together. However, it's best to sit down and find out ways you can shift the budget to help with your down payment for a home also, if you plan to purchase a home soon too. The average couple spends a little over $20,000 on their wedding. Even a savings of $5000 from your wedding budget can help with being able to get the perfect home for you to enjoy building your life together for many years to come.
2. WEDDING GIFTS: Wedding bliss often comes with wedding gifts. Let's admit, one of our favorite times during the wedding season is all of the gifts that come pouring in! Have any friends or family pitching in cash? Consider saving that to put towards your down payment. And depending on the generosity of your gifts, you can even open an account dedicated to your down payment, that friends and family can gift to.
3. GET PRE-APPROVED: One of the least brought up conversations in relationships is the credit and financial history of your soon-to-be spouse. Get together with a lender to go over both of your histories to know what needs to be done to put you guys in a position to own a home together. In some cases, only one person can get approved, while the other can't. If you want to put both of your incomes toward the cost of the house you want, talking to a lender early on can ensure you are prepared to make the right moves. Often you can get a game plan set up to improve credit in order to get a better score and then qualify for a better loan option.
4. THE RIGHT AGENT: That's where myself & my team come in! I can connect you with a lender to ensure you are being watched over from the best recommendations & get the game plan on mortgage strategy so it makes sense for you long term and you're comfortable with it. It's an absolute joy to take the stress out of buying a home for my newly wed couples. A wedding is often stressful. To then jump into buying a house shortly after or in the same time frame is a lot to get through. I can guide you through all of the steps to make sure you end up with a house you love & is right for you. Think of me as a wedding planner, but for homes. My team & I are your home planner!
5. NOW THERE'S TWO: Although some spouses are a match made in heaven, loving and adoring the same exact things, often times that's not the case with most couples. You still are your own persons, and have your own tastes. This is where the first step to comprise really begins & needs to happen. We need to find a place that you both will love. A happy marriage starts with a happy home so be sure you both are considerate of each other's wants and needs in style and location, so you both are happy with the home you end up getting. We'll work through this and make sure that the most important & desired wants in a home for both of you are met. I'll help you sort out the biggest "must haves" in a home so we can keep focused on finding the right home.
When the time is right & you are thinking about purchasing a home (or selling a home) let me know. I would love the opportunity to help you make that happen!
Brittany Allen
