What You Need To Do For An Easy Home Build

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Building your own home from scratch is a dream that many people across the world harbor. Even in a property market as expansive as the current one is, it can still often be hard to find an existing home that meets all your specifications. Many people find it excruciating to hand over a large sum of money for a property that they know they want to change quite drastically anyway. This is why more and more people are buying land, instead of real estate, and building their own homes from scratch. However, it isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem on paper. There are a lot of things that can go wrong during a home build and you need to make sure you have the right people on your side to guide you through it as well. Here are a few things you need to get under control, so that your home build can be as smooth and as stress-free as possible.


Finance


It’s not secret that in order to pull off a task this huge, you will need to have a fair bit of financial backing. Unless you are a millionaire with plenty of savings, it’s fairly unlikely that you will be in a position to fund the whole thing upfront, with cash. So, with that in mind, you will need to find a mortgage – just like you would for purchasing pre-built real estate. A self-build mortgage could therefore be the right option for you. They work much the same as a regular mortgage, except for the fact that the payments are split up to coincide with various stages of your project. You may be able to access a self-build mortgage directly from your bank or building society, but if not, you can always turn to a self-build mortgage broker. When discussing the financial aid with such a broker, you will be in a position to decide upfront how much money is going to be accessible at each stage, which enables you to clearly plan your project from start to finish. Also, set aside a contingency of 10%, as you never know where an unexpected cost might hit when you are building your own house!

 

Builders and contractors


Unless you are a multi-skilled miracle worker, you will probably be hiring other people to actually carry out the task of putting your dream home together. It can pay off to work closely with planners, architects, builders and contractors, as they are all specialists in their fields. Doing the entire thing on your own is virtually impossible, especially if you are still working full or part time while your project takes shape. Building and design experts can take some of the weight off your shoulders and with your help, can turn your vision into a reality.  If you need a new home built, make sure you put your trust and money into reputable individuals and companies who you know can commit to the project from start to finish. It is also important that you make sure everyone is on the same page and therefore working well together, so hold regular ‘catch up’ meetings so you know where each stage of the project is going.


Legal issues and planning approval


A common spanner in the works that can arise is issues with the contract and planning permission. The last thing you want is work having to be halted because the local council or land owner has come across a fault in your contract. There can be serious repercussions from this type of thing – not just for your project, but for you as an individual too. Legal problems like this can follow you around for some time, so always make sure you have the appropriate consents in order before you even think about starting to build. Sure, there is often a lot of legal jargon involved and you may find it dull or confusing. But stick at it – the more you know, the more you will be equipped to deal with any issues that arise. Additionally, make sure you and your project are well insured. Contractors and project managers normally do come with their own insurance, but you will still need to take out your own policy if you are running a self-build. It can be tempting to hit the ground running and just start building, but take the time to ensure all these affairs are in order before you do – you won’t regret it.

The Pros and Cons of Purchasing a Home Abroad

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If you are considering buying a home abroad, keep in mind that there are many benefits, but there are also many disadvantages. It is essential to do your research and make sure that you understand the pros and cons before buying abroad. Do not rush into a poor property investment before knowing everything you need to know about the purchase.

The buy could be worth it if the foreign exchange rate favors your country’s currency. Also, buying and renting out a vacation home abroad could be a great and fairly easy way to bring in additional cash flow, as long as you are willing to put in some effort to manage the property. However, it could be dangerous to invest in undervalued overseas property with the impression that it will appreciate over time.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you have all the information before making a big purchase like an overseas vacation home. Read these top five tips to ensuring that you have a positive experience owning a residence abroad.

  • Investigate the Local Housing Market

According to Expatica.com, before you buy abroad, you should make sure to thoroughly research the local market. Global price trends can certainly happen, but local real estate markets can also go through cycles of rising and falling, so keep those cycles in mind and make sure to research both the current global and local market and past price trends.

Many countries also prevent foreigners from owning real estate, so you should definitely ensure that you are able to legally purchase property in the country in which you are looking before you sign a sketchy contract. In addition to checking real estate laws and trends, make sure that you understand the currency exchange rate as well as the historical economic stability of the country in which you are buying the property. You should also research what you would owe in stamp duty on a property site like PropertyGuru Singapore.

  • Purchase The Home Through a Professional

You can often get a great deal if you buy directly through a homeowner. However, it is probably best to purchase your vacation home through a professional real estate agent who understands the local market and can guide you through the pros and cons of buying an overseas residence. It is the agent’s responsibility to make sure that you are well informed about the home purchase.

  • Get The Assistance of a Legal Representative

In addition to using a professional real estate agent to ensure that you are well informed about the home purchase, you should also hire a lawyer or legal representative to represent your best interests and notify you of any legal pitfalls or problems with the home. Most overseas real estate deals do not require legal services, but it is best to hire one to watch out for your best interests.

  • Translate Any Important Documents

If you are signing or reading an important document in a foreign language like the contract, it is necessary that you have these papers professionally translated. It is worth it to pay to have these papers translated so that you clearly understand what you are reading and signing.

  • Save Money on Transferring Money for Mortgage Payments

After you have read through and signed any important translated documents, you can focus on making your mortgage payments. It is important that this process is as streamlined as possible, since you will need to deal with transferring money from your domestic currency to foreign currency and making overseas down payments and mortgage payments. While local banks tend to offer poor foreign exchange services with small transaction limits and hefty fees, you can more easily transfer your funds to foreign currency and make payments through a regular payment service.

 

Important Questions to Ask Before Buying Your Home Abroad

In addition to these tips, it is important to ask questions when you are actually shopping for a vacation property abroad, according to the Huffington Post. For example, are you using this property for renting out or personal use? Or both? If you are going to be living in the vacation house yourself, it is crucial that it fits your needs. Do you need a guest room or guesthouse? Are you willing to take on a hefty renovation project or do you want a house that is ready to rent out right away?

What about the neighborhood itself? Would you prefer to be by the beach or in the city? Would you prefer to own a home in a gated community or a more integrated neighborhood? Do you want to live in a place with plenty of public transportation services or where you can easily drive around? Do you want your vacation home to be conveniently located near shopping centers and restaurants? Would you like your home to be furnished? Most houses come unfurnished, so you may need to either buy furniture locally or send your own furniture from home, which could be expensive.

Think about your budget before you even begin looking for your vacation home. It is important to figure out what you can afford before you start shopping and stick to your budget no matter what.

While there can be many pros and cons to buying abroad, it is a great way to bring in extra cash and you will have an ideal home away from home once you retire.

The Excitement Of The Housing Market

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If you’re deciding to enter into the property market, then you’re in for a treat. There’s so many rewards of entering into it. Whether you’re going for a career, you first time on the property ladder, or investment, there’s something to take the interest of everyone. This article is going to explore a few of the ways the housing market can be exciting for different people.

 

Buying/Selling

Some people might say that buying or selling a home is one of the most stressful experiences there is. But at the same time nobody can deny that it isn’t one of the most exciting as well. If it’s your first time buying, you’ll definitely go through a whirlwind of emotions. You’ll have the stress of saving for your deposit, and looking at houses that you’ll fall in love with, but will be gone by the time you’re ready to buy. You’ll then have the highs of finally having the deposit ready, and viewing houses that you’re hopefully going to move into. The comes the stress again with sorting out moving fee’s, and actually getting into your new home. Then comes the high again of having your own home. Whirlwind of emotions right? Selling is pretty much the same, except you have the added stress of selling a house. Sometimes offers will fall through, or you may not get the asking price you needed.

 

Career

A career in real estate is a multitude of things. It’s stressful, rewarding, and most of all exciting. There’s a lot of money to be made when it comes to real estate. Securing a sale on a house can mean you receive a lot of money from commission. The happiness you’ll see in people’s faces when you help them get the sale they want is also so rewarding. But it is hard work. You’ll most likely be spending a lot of hours a day either at the office, in meetings, or taking clients round houses. You will be pressured to meet targets, but the rewards of that outweigh everything.

 

Investment

It is common now for people to be investing in properties in order to make a little extra money. Whether they’re investing to do a property flip, or to rent a house out, either one is an exciting time. It isn’t a stressful as buying or selling, because you don’t have the whole moving element involved. But it is stressful in terms of the risks involved. If you buy a run down property, flip it, and it doesn’t sell for your asking price, you’ve wasted a hell of a lot of money. If you’re investing to rent, things are usually a little easier as people are always keen to rent out a property. There will be a lot of help along the way from professionals if you need it, and you will need a large sum of money to invest in the beginning. It is common for people already owning a business to go into property investment, but anyone can do it.