By now, you already have an idea of how your dream home would look like. You must have already identified it and began to fill your Pinterest boards with photos of penthouses, luxury apartments, or gorgeous mansions. With the right strategy, you can make your dream a reality and start living in that dream house. Among the things that you could do include:

Getting rid of your old house

The first step to getting closer to your dream home is selling your current and moving into a rental. If you don’t sell, you are likely to be stuck with two mortgages or two homes which is a huge responsibility. Thus, you have to optimize your old house for a fast sale by:

• Decluttering: This involves placing everything that you do not need in a storage unit. This strategy will help potential buyers to see your house for what it is making it easy to sell.
• Getting professional photos taken: Good pictures are what will draw buyers to your home
• You need to get a professional to highlight the best features of your home to attract buyers.
• Involving an agent: A realtor will connect you to a network of buyers and will arrange multiple showings until your home is sold.

Set the right budget

Now that you have sold your old home and have some money, you can calculate how much you are willing to pay for your new one taking into consideration your salary. For a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, you should ensure that you keep the payments at no more than 25% of your salary. There are instances when the bank will try to offer you a 30-year mortgage; don't take it because you will wind up paying huge interest. While you set your budget, you should take into account costs such as HOA fees, high utility fees, and costs for upgrades. Additionally, you should consider moving expenses, closing fees, and costs for repairs and upgrades.

Exercise patience

While you might be anxious and tired of trying to find a house, you should wait until you get the one that meets your criteria. Ensure that you do not settle for something that you will move out of in a few years simply because you are tired of looking around. You need to work with an agent that understands that you are buying your dream house and who refuses to settle for less. Meanwhile, you should ensure that you are ready to give a good offer once the right house comes along. You should also know that cash home buyers are often at a point of advantage because some home sellers would be willing to lower the price of the home so that they do not wait for months to get paid. However, if you want to buy with a loan, you should get a preapproval early enough.

Finding your dream home

This is the step where things get real after the hard work that you put into selling your old house. You should make a list of features of your desire according to your budget, dreams, and the lifestyle that you wish to live. Having such a list will ensure that you stay zoned and do not lose focus. Among the things that you need to put into consideration include:

• Location and layout: If you intend to stay in this house for a long time, you need to find a neighborhood and a layout that is going to suit your lifestyle for years to come.
• Size and space: While this will be determined by your budget, your dream home should suit your family’s needs across different seasons in life.
• Take into account school districts: If you are looking to raise a family, you need to take into account the quality of the surrounding schools. Suppose you do not want children or you are retired, you should know that proximity to good schools enhance the value of your home.
• Exterior and interior design: Consider the investments that you have to make if you move to this new house.

While home remodeling inside is easier, you might need professional help for the exterior part. Try working with a siding contractor who will choose the right look and material for the siding of your house. In addition,  you can check platforms online, such as Lotmix - house and land platform, where you can look up details from your list of requirements and ease your path of choosing the right house.

Conclusion

Everyone deserves to live in their dream home at some point in their lives. But before you pay and move in, you should have someone inspect the house for any issues that will cost you a fortune to fix. You should keep an open mind though because you can choose to get a fixer-upper and turn it into your paradise. Meanwhile, leverage these four tips and you can be sure to move into your new home in no time!