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5 Things You Should Never Say When Buying a Home
You’re on the hunt for a new home and excitement is running through your veins. It’s normal to feel a rush of emotions when you’re trying to find a house for you or your family. It doesn’t matter if this is your very first home-to-be or your third.
House-hunting is an exciting time. And as such, it’s important to know which home-buying mistakes to avoid. That’s right; many would-be homeowners have shot themselves in the proverbial foot by saying something that they shouldn’t have.
To those new to the game, buying a home is just that: a game. More like a game of poker, to be exact; where the wrong move can cost you dearly. Fortunately, you’re not in this alone. We’re here to help you dodge the most common first-time home-buying mistakes so you can come out smelling like a rose.
The next sections below take a close look at the best new home buying tips and what you should never say when buying a home.
Home Buying Tips
Let’s dive into some of the best first-time home buying tips and tricks to help you make smart money move when it comes to buying a home. So, what are things not to do when buying a house?
“Why are you selling your house?”
We’ll start with some simple common courtesy. It’s understandable that you want to make small talk with the seller. And what better way than to ask about their house! But there are certain questions you want to avoid asking altogether, and this is one of them.
Why? Quite frankly, it’s considered to be in poor taste. What if they answer that their spouse just passed away or they’re getting a divorce and downsizing? Can you say, “Uncomfortable?”
Some things are best not known. What’s more, if a bidding war were to ultimately take place, the seller is likely to remember the bidder who asked rude questions. You certainly don’t want that to play against you.
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“Tell you what: I’ll pay you (a really low amount) for your home.”
Never, under any circumstances, offer insultingly low figures to the seller. For one, this just makes you sound rude and unreasonable. And two, the seller will be insulted by your offer and won’t take you seriously.
The best thing to do is to speak with your real estate agent and follow their advice on what kind of offers to submit. Chances are, your agent has been doing this for a while and knows what it takes to make a successful offer.
“This is the house of my dreams!”
Like we mentioned in the opening, buying a home is like a game of poker. The last thing you want to do is show the seller all of your cards. Yes, it’s easy to get swept away when you finally find the house of your dreams.
But it’s best to keep your cool and choose your words wisely. Telling the seller that their home is just what you’ve been looking for will tip them off and likely end with you paying more than you expected.
It’s certainly OK to compliment the seller’s home. You just don’t want to go overboard. In other words, be kind and respectful, but don’t say anything that will give the seller the upper hand.
“That’ll be the first thing to go!”
As you explore different homes in your quest for the right one, you are sure to come across a lot of designs and décor decisions that you would just as soon do without.
As such, it should come as no surprise that one of the most common home-buying mistakes that people make is voicing their opinions about how homes look.
Think about it this way: many of the homes that you’re going to be looking at have been the epicenter of many people’s lives. This is where a lot of memories have been made, as well as a lot of hard work.
If you come in boasting about repainting a child’s old bedroom or renovating everything that took this family a lifetime to create, you won’t be doing yourself any favors. Many sellers take exception to hearing that their home is going to be stripped down and remade.
In a sense, it’s like watching the pictures in your favorite photo album get flushed down the toilet. What’s more, there’s a good chance that the seller could raise their asking price on you after they hear what you plan to do with a part of their family’s history.
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“This furniture looks awful!”
This one ties in with the previous mistake. You should never say anything negative about the seller’s taste in décor or furniture. What looks nice to you doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else feels that way, and vice-versa.
It’s always best to keep your opinions to yourself. There have been many instances where a seller has rejected a potential buyer because they felt insulted by something they said or did.
This goes for any agents that might be present, too – especially the sellers. Joking about the seller’s home to their agent is a sure-fire way to get passed up for another buyer.
“You’ll never get your asking price!”
One of the more common home buying mistakes is to make comments about the seller’s asking price. Even if you jokingly mention to them that there’s no way they’ll get what they’re asking, you’re looking for trouble.
Again, this is a great way to insult the seller and make them feel uncomfortable. More often than not, your viewing is likely to be cut short and you’ll be on your way out the door.
Even if you truly believe that what the seller wants for their home is too much, leave this kind of discussion to your agent. If you are genuinely interested in the home, let your agent try to get a reasonable price on the table and go from there.
In Closing: Things You Should Never Say When Buying a House
Following these 1st time home-buying tips will help you avoid saying something that could hurt your chances in the long run. As long as you remember to treat buying a home like a shrewd game of poker, you should do well.
Be kind, respectful, and courteous. But don’t let your excitement and emotions get the better of you. With a little practice and a whole lot of restraint, you’ll have a much better chance of landing your dream house.
