Buying a house is probably the largest purchase you will ever make, and it can feel pretty overwhelming! If money’s tight, you can save money with a bit of forward planning and these handy tips. 

Use an experienced local real estate agent


Did you know that using a real estate with experience and local knowledge can actually save you a lot of money? Firstly, most of the time it costs nothing to use a real estate agent – the commission is more often than not paid completely by the seller! Moreover, a real estate agent will have all the details on the best deals locally, and they will be able to tell the true value of a home you’re looking at. Maybe something came up on the home inspection, or the house is overpriced in the first place. Your real estate agent has so much practice negotiating, so they are more likely to agree on a great price for you, the buyers, than if you attempted to negotiate yourself! If you want to find more about how realtors can save you money, you’ll be wowed by these little-known facts.

Increase your Credit Score


If you want to have your mortgage application accepted and get good repayment and interest rates, the best thing to do is to increase your credit score before buying a house. The first step to do is to find out what your credit score is – this is free to do online. Next, you’ll want to boost your credit score. You can do this by paying off any existing debts, cancelling credit cards you no longer use and making sure you’re on the electoral roll. Get more tips on raising your credit score.

Ask around and compare loan quotes from several lenders


Even though it may take some time and effort, it’s definitely worth looking around and getting quotes from a few different mortgage providers. Don’t go for the first quote you get! Make sure you shop around and compare different quotes. You might be pleasantly surprised by how much you can save this way! I know that I am so glad I thought to check my mortgage options before applying for a mortgage. Habito is so simple and easy to use to check out your options.

Get the right type of mortgage loan for you


I know this is kind of boring and confusing, but you’ve got to make sure you get the right type of mortgage loan. You can normally choose between fixed-rate interest loans and variable rate loans. Variable rate loans tend to work out cheaper in the long run, but if you’re on a tight budget you might have a nasty surprise if your repayment fees are higher one month than another.

Find a house that needs some work


On a tight budget, but with plenty of time on your hands? Why not go for a fixer-upper? You’ll get a great deal on the house and with a bit of work, your house will increase in value too. I love these tips for renovating a house on a budget!

So there you have some useful tips to save you money when you’re buying a house.

Author

Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X