The decision to buy a home should never be a fast one. Even if you make that commitment today, it might take several months before you’re actually ready to start applying for a loan. Of course, you could also have been planning to buy a home since your wedding day or first day on a new job. Any chance you get to save money, will help you get ready. Here are some other smart tips for first-time homebuyers:

Skip Auctions, Foreclosures and Bank Sales

For house flippers who have a lot of cash on hand, buying a foreclosed home at a bank sale or auction might make sense. What about first-time homebuyers? Yes, you might be able to find a property that is 20% under market value. However, the money you save on the purchase could be put right back in to make repairs. Too often these homes have been the subject of neglect. If the previous occupant didn’t have the money for a mortgage payment, they certainly didn’t have the money for repairs. You can still look at foreclosed property but unless you get a thorough inspection and the option to back out, don’t be tempted but something that is probably too good to be true.

Visit 20 Properties in Person

Thanks to online real estate sites, you could literally look through dozens if not hundreds of properties in an afternoon but that’s not the same as seeing them in person. Those online sites might help you put together a “favorites” list but you should expect to visit at least 20 homes before making a decision. Will you fall in love with the first one? Maybe and if it looks good, make an offer but then don’t drive yourself crazy continuing the search.

Look Everywhere

When you test drive a car, you check all the features, adjust the seat to your liking and even peek in the trunk. You should take this same approach with house hunting. Go into every room and spend a few minutes in each. Try out doors and drawers. Go down into the basement and up in the attic. Turn lights on and off. And walk the yard boundaries, too. Just be sure to separate cosmetic fixes from structural. You can repaint and wall but a musty smell in the basement means trouble.

After you’ve closed on your house, it’s time to start packing. This is when you want to schedule a session with Junk King Birmingham. They’re not going to help you pack as much as help you “not pack.” That means not packing old junk. All of that needs to stay out of your moving truck and your new home. First-time homebuyers should always put Junk King Birmingham to work for the junk move out before the big move in.