Real estate purchase: the different steps to become an owner

Assess your needs before buying real estate

It is necessary to know your criteria for your future accommodation. Do you prefer new or old? Of what Number of pieces will you need if you plan in the years to come to expand your small family? Another essential point is the situation: how long are you prepared to travel to school, nursery and your workplace? Will you be using public transport? Also list the secondary criteria: Do you want a parking space, a cellar, be upstairs or even have a balcony or an elevator? If you are looking for a house, do you want to have a garden, a terrace, an independent or terraced house?

Estimate your financial capacity before buying real estate

Take a calculator to estimate your budget, how much can you give to repay a loan without getting into difficulty once you have paid your fixed charges (heating, electricity, water, insurance, nanny), telephone, fuel and car maintenance, taxes, food and clothing expenses, not to mention your vacation budget? Indeed, your savings capacity will play an important role in the granting of your loan. Also, don’t forget that the less credits you will have in progress (consumer credit, car credit, etc.), the more your mortgage may be important and the lower the rate can be.

How to find out about real estate prices?

Before starting your research, target a geographic area. Many price comparators per square meter in your area are available on dedicated sites : bellesagents.com, seloger.com, lescomparateurs.com, besttaux.com. You can also do the tour of real estate agencies to establish your own average according to the size and type of property sought. Real estate agents will allow you to obtain a free estimate from the local market. You will also find something to broaden your search on the sites real estate ads : leboncoin.fr, meilleurtaux.com.

Visiting a house or an apartment: what to do?

• Rule number one: have a notebook to take notes on your impressions, take measurements and list all the questions you have.
• Rule number two: don’t limit yourself to one visit but ask see the good at least two or three times at different times of the day. You’ll notice details that didn’t jump out at you the first time around and get a better idea of ​​the sunshine.
• Rule number three: walk within a radius of 800 meters around the building or the house to fully appreciate the quality of the environment. For example, check if there is a nightclub, restaurant or business that is closing late at night.
• Rule number four: if there is a guard, question him for get a glimpse of the neighborhood.

Becoming a homeowner: how to assess the cost of your home?

Before settling on a home that caught your attention, make sure that you have taken all the elements into account: The total amount with notary fees, the monthly amount of condominium fees, That of housing tax and taxe foncière, and the amount of co-ownership work. Is the accommodation ready to be inhabited or should work be planned? In this case, make a precise assessment of the cost to be considered. To give you an idea, there are approximately 300 euros per m2 to redo the walls and floors. If you decide that you have to demolish partitions or put new partitions, redo the plumbing or the windows, you will easily reach 500 euros per m2 in the provinces and 700 euros per m2 in Paris.

How to negotiate the price of your accommodation?

Certain defects or work to be carried out justify a discount on the amount of the sale. Here are some examples of what you can negotiate. There is no elevator ? The discount can be 5% if you buy on the 1st floor and go up to 40% on the 6th floor. A facelift is planned? Refreshing a building facade costs around 50 euros per square meter. Make the addition according to the surface to be reduced and divide the amount according to your share on the maintenance of the common areas. Is the electrical installation not compliant? It is compulsory to bring it up to standard and if the previous owner has not done so, it is your responsibility. The discount must be equivalent to the cost of the work. For information, for a 50 m2 apartment, they cost 6 euros.

Applying for a mortgage: instructions for use

Unless you are an excellent customer (the institution manages your financial assets), seniority in a bank does not necessarily help to obtain the best credit rate. It is therefore essential to play the competition between a minimum of three generalist banks and three specialized banks to compare their offers. To do this, find out about the rates charged (Meilleurtaux.com). Before going to see them, create a dossierr including the exact amount of your personal contribution, the budget that will result from the cost of your acquisition as well as the monthly cost of your new expenses. Know that here too you can negotiate, in particular the loan rate, application fee as well as the exemption from reimbursement penalties if, for one reason or another, you must prepay your loan.