Top Tips for Buying a House for the First Time

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable rise in Pakistan’s real estate. Property prices in major cities in Pakistan, especially in Islamabad, have doubled since 2010.

Many people/individuals are starting to jump on this trend of buying property since it is an excellent investment if made keeping in mind certain factors. If you are interested o hop on this trend of real estate and want to know how you can make an investment the right way, keep reading!

If you are searching for a house in Pakistan, you must take all the procedures such as where to invest, how to buy a safe property in Pakistan, etc. Once you are aware of all these aspects, it becomes easier for you to maintain your property business efficiently.

Here is a simple process of buying a house.

Location

Location is an essential factor here, depending on the price and facilities of properties in Pakistan. Therefore, the best way to invest in a property is to look for a location, which has great importance holistically. Moreover, a mainly located place with a possibility of incrementing its current value is also an essential factor.

Major cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad are Pakistan’s top-rated cities in terms of trade, business, entertainment, etc. However, their property prices are also different from each other. Comparatively, Islamabad is the most expensive city than the other cities in Pakistan.

Coming forward to the house’s layout, it is essential to be mindful it can’t be changed or modified unless you have the budget for a home renovation. Therefore, when looking for a house, take a quick scan of the rooms and see if the rooms in the house are spacious and according to your preference.

If the kitchen and bathrooms are small and congested, or the shape of the living room is not proportional, fixing it would cost you a fortune and thus become a hectic task. Furthermore, it is vital to check if the house has good ventilation.

 

Budget

What is your budget when it comes to buying a property? What facilities can you afford? How much to spend on agents, furniture, and other expenses?

Thus, factors like your income, family expenses, and savings should be kept in mind when searching for a suitable property.

Type of Property

The location of the property is the selling point. Usually, there are two aspects; one is the distance between the house to your workplace, school, and other basic areas such as grocery stores.

The other element is neighborhood. Is it a safe and secure place? Is it safe for children? Does it provide a suitable environment for raising your kids? Is it clean and well-maintained?

All these questions are answered once you visit the property. You can always make a list of specifics that you prefer in a certain location. Additionally, you can determine which location or area you would prefer to live in.

Property Requirements

Make sure of how much land size you need depending on your budget. It is important to take professional guidance in this regard. This is where you incorporate the design and architecture map.

Contact a real estate agent

After you have done all the basic work, it is time to contact a good real estate agency or agent. Both have a personal relationship with other buyers and investors and are also well experienced. About 1 to 2 percent of the total property is paid to the real estate agent to provide property services.

Meet the seller

After you have selected your property, you may contact the seller directly. This will allow you to get all the important information and personal assurance from the seller. You can also make negotiations with the seller about the payment and documents.

You must visit the property with the owner. You shouldn’t seal a deal directly with the agent. Always ask your agent to schedule a meeting with the owner of the property.

Now, you need to verify the ownership of the property you have decided to buy by crosschecking the transfer letter with the NIC of the original owner.

Many agents try to fix a deal on their own by making excuses.

Once the price and payment terms are finalized between both parties, you pay the owner some token money. This secures the deal between the buyer and the seller.

Always ask for a receipt from the owner or agent about the token money.

Things to consider:

• Token money must be in between 50k to 1 Lac.
• You must have a copy of the transfer letter of allotment.
• There should be a complete address and filer number of the property on the token receipt.
• The token receipt must declare that the property doesn’t have any due payments or litigation.
• The token money is counted in the total price of the property.

Stamp paper

Stamp paper is used to transfer property deeds under the supervision of a legal consultant. This is legal proof that can be used for future use and legislation.

But, first, it is maintained with the seller. Therefore, it is important to mention all the details about the property and all attestations of important documents to verify two or more witnesses from both sides.

Registration and payment

After stamp paper, the buyer and the seller have to pay the registration fee.

Then, one has to submit the property papers to a government office. Therefore, it is better to hire an expert if you are a novice to make your process smoother.

Pay via Bank Pay Orders

It is advised to avoid paying in cash. It is suitable to be via pay orders.

Here are some aspects to consider when it comes to paying for your property:

• Each society reflects different taxation rules.

• The 1% of commission of the total price must be given to the agent.

Are you looking into buying a house with little or bad credit?

This is a challenging task that requires dedication, a sense of responsibility, and commitment to have full ownership of your house.

Two golden tips that you need to consider:

1. Buying a house is a long-term purchase. Hence, it would be best if you looking for a suitable neighborhood where you want to settle.
2. A requirement of saving habit, but well-budgeted expenditure can be good for early investment. Since buying a property comes with an upfront cost, there are other factors, such as down payments, monthly installments, etc. However, there are many underlying expenses that you need to pay off as a homeowner.

Conclusion

To conclude, keeping in mind the factors mentioned above can help you in finding a suitable property. Having a list prepared of all the essentials is a great way to start.

This will help you determine the layout of the house, but it will ease your process of meeting all your preferences and requirements such as good neighborhood, location, etc.

Despite being a new house or a pre-owned flat, fixtures and fittings must be included with the purchase. It is a shock for many people when they ignore such things.

For example, imagine finding out that there is a leakage in the ceiling, or the lights in your house don’t work. Thus, check the house for different fixtures such as damp spots, lighting, signs of pest infestation, and other problems many individuals overlook when they buy a house for the first time.