Month: July 2021

The Pros and Cons of Buying Your First Home

There are tons of advantages to buying your first home, which is why so many people own their homes. If you’re someone who dreams of homeownership, it’s important to understand both the pros and cons. Weighing these advantages and disadvantages can help you determine whether or not you’re ready to buy your first home. If you decide that you’re not ready, it’s okay! You don’t have to rush when it comes to purchasing a house. 

Here are the pros and cons of buying your first home. 

Pros of Buying a House

Buying a house is a huge investment, but it’s also incredibly exciting. People enjoy nesting and putting down roots. Here are the pros of buying your first house. 

Acts as an Investment 

Instead of giving a monthly amount to your landlord for rent, you can begin buying into your home equity. Your house is essentially a big piggy bank that grows over time. As you build equity, the value of your home increases. This is something many first-time homebuyers don’t even realize. 

The best-case scenario of being a homeowner is you pay off your loan as planned and can enjoy retirement with a lower monthly expense. Buying is much more attractive than continuing to pay landlords and corporations a percentage of your income every single month for the rest of your life. 

Houses also appreciate in value. The average home price index will continue to increase, but it’s still important you take care of your home so you can find a buyer when you decide to sell. 

Improves Credit

As you pay your mortgage off monthly and on time, your credit score will increase. Although your credit score will likely go down after you take out the loan, it’s sure to go back up once you begin making regular payments. 

Privacy and Control Over Living Space

Buying a house lets you have more privacy than renting an apartment because your neighbors are farther away. You also have more control because you own your property. In an apartment or any rental, you are restricted from doing things such as painting walls and using nails, but it is something you can do once you purchase a house. 

Unfortunately, you may not have total control over your living space and may need to consult with your HOA to make renovations. Still, there are no more limits on pets or worry about your television being too loud. 

Long-Term Stability 

Homeowners typically move less than renters because they own their homes. While it’s important you pay your mortgage so you don’t run into problems with your lender, getting removed from your house is much more difficult than getting kicked out of your apartment. 

Even though there are renter’s rights, landlords can ask you to move out of your apartment at the end of your lease for a variety of reasons, which could leave you without a stable place to raise your kids or pets. 

Cons of Buying a House

Owning a home isn’t for everyone. Many people prefer renting because of the challenges you’re about to read. Here are the cons of buying a house. 

High Upfront Costs

In the past, you must have been able to put down at least 20% as a down payment to get a mortgage. Luckily, the industry has changed, and the 20% down payment is no longer necessary. Today, you can qualify for a mortgage with much less down, but you still must consider the costs of buying a house. 

The lower your initial down payment, the higher your monthly interest rate will be, and you will have to pay monthly mortgage insurance if you don’t put 20% down. Other costs include closing costs, which can be anything from 3% to 6% of the total loan. 

Top 5 Tips for Building Your Own Home in Portugal

When you are planning to build your own home in Portugal, you need to be aware of the documents and procedures that you need to undertake. The following will help you understand what documents you will need for construction permits to build your own home in Portugal.

There may be some cases where an application for construction permits is not required, such as when building with temporary materials or when reconstructing existing buildings.

1. Find the right location

Portugal is a small country and it may be more difficult to find a suitable location than you imagine. if you are thinking to be building your own home in Portugal you may already have a nice region in mind that you like most. But don’t overlook the hidden jems Portugal has to offer.

There are some regions that are more affordable than others, some are actually not far from the beach and mountains.

2. Apply for a planning permission

This is absolutely mandatory and will save you from potential problems later on. But don’t worry there is offices out there who are specialized in helping you in this process, such as an architectural office. Hiring an architect in Portugal is not as expensive as you might think. Depending on the size of your project it can cost you as little as 10 € per square metre.

3. Find and hire an architect

It might seem like an unnecessary expense, but it will make your life much easier in the long run by ensuring that everything gets done correctly, within budget and on time. Also, the architect in Portugal can design your home in a way that will actually save you money, in the end you probably pay the same that you would have without an architect.

4. Consider buying land

If you are only looking to build a home for yourself in Portugal, then make sure you look in the area that is right for you and have everything nearby that you will need. Also, it is important to check if the land is suitable for construction. If you buy a land in Portugal that is located in an estate make sure to check the estate rules – sometimes there are rules regarding colours of the house or windows or the roof needs to have a certain colour and angle… etc.

5. Speak to a solicitor

Better safe than sorry. Getting legal advice will help you to understand the procedure involved and be aware of potential pitfalls.

Conclusion: Building Your Own Home in Portugal

With these few simple steps you can be building your own home in Portugal and invest in the healthy and growing housing market of sunny Portugal.

Image by Steffen Zimmermann on Pixabay 

Cheap Houses: What You Should Know

Houses are expensive. Especially in densely populated urban areas. But there are some houses on the market that only cost a few thousand dollars.

Where can you find those dirt-cheap houses? One place we found for example is Bulgaria where you can get affordable houses, even some that are close to the beach.

Example: Cheap Houses in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a country in the Balkans, Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north and the Republic of Macedonia to the east. The country has a population of 7,6 million people and is one of the oldest countries in Europe.

Bulgaria offers beauty and history for all types of travellers willing to explore it. It is very affordable as well. For instance, a meal in a restaurant will cost you around 2 euros maximum, while accommodation will cost you anything from 10 euros per night for an apartment up to 50 euros per night for a hotel room with 4 stars. Bulgaria also has some remarkable festivals that are worth checking out – like the folk festival “Kukeri” during which participants dress up as masked characters with colourful outfits and dance around bonfires!

There are also many other reasons why you might want to consider property investment in Bulgaria such as:

– The country has a low crime rate

– There are plenty of opportunities for owning businesses

– Land prices are very low

4 Factors Affecting the Cost of a House

The cost of a house can vary in four main ways.

1) Location: the cost of a house will depend on where it is located. For example, a house right at the beach will cost you more than one in the middle of nowhere.

2) Size: the size of the property will also affect the price. For example, properties with a bigger backyard or more rooms might be more expensive than other homes with less space to offer.

3) Age: this factor is closely related to size and features but it also includes things like how old are the pipes? Or how new are the appliances? This is important because older homes might need lots of repairs and upgrades.

4) Amenities: another thing that affects housing prices is what kind of amenities, such as a pool or a gym, come with the property.

3 Ways to Make Your Home More Affordable

There are many simple ways to make your home more affordable. Here are 3 of them:

– Consider downsizing

– Look for a mortgage with a lower interest rate

– Consider walking away from your mortgage

– Consider to move to the Countryside

Downsizing is the most common way to make your home more affordable. The truth is that the size and space of your home can have an impact on its value. You could also look for a mortgage with a lower interest rate, which would help decrease the amount of money you spend each month. Lastly, it may be time to consider walking away from your mortgage if you have reached the end of what you can afford or if you are struggling to come up with additional funds.

Conclusion

Don’t look for a house that is bigger than you actually need it. Know what you can comfortably afford and then be flexible about the location as well as be ready to do some repair works yourself. Like that you will find cheap houses in no time.

Bio

Our Property under 20k team are the founders of www.all-real-estate.com and www.listproperty4free.com with the goal to search the cheapest real estate in the world and make it easy for others to find. The team is made up of landlords, real estate investors, architects and builders from several different countries.  We just love to have a good strong cup of coffee while we write our experiences in this blog.

Image by Martin Winkler on Pixabay 

How can I get a house for 100k or less?

You may be surprised to learn that you don’t need to be rich in order to buy a house. In fact, there are many ways you can save money and still get a house under 100k.

Houses are a big investment and one that should not be taken lightly. That is why it is important to find the perfect house for you, in the best location and for a price that fits your budget.

Average house prices

According to the survey, the average amount people are spending on a house now is around $400,000. So, it would take a lot of research and work to find a house that’s cheaper than 100k.

There are many ways you can get a house for close to 100k or even less than that. It just takes some time and work on your end.

Find the best value for your money

It’s not always easy to find cheap homes in the marketplace. There are many aspects that affect the value of a home. The general rule of thumb, however, is to buy close to the city centre if you want better value.

Some people say that it might be easier to find a cheap home by looking at area listings, or by looking at other more affordable areas outside of the city centre. However, this might not be possible for everyone who wants to live in an urban setting.

Be more creative in your search

So, what should you do? Get creative with your search and don’t limit yourself too much by just looking at one area when there are so many others out there for you to explore!

Saving up for a down payment is the first big step in achieving this goal. You can save the down payment by living with your parents or by renting an apartment in an inexpensive location and then saving up more money over time.

A lot of people want to purchase a home but they don’t have the money. It’s not uncommon for people to spend their life savings on a house – which is why many people end up living in their parents’ basement. That’s actually not a bad idea if it helps you to save up for your own home at the same time.

There are certainly ways to get houses for 100k or less if you have patience and know where to look.

Be more specific in your search

Buying a house is one of the biggest purchases that you will ever make. That said, if you are looking for a cheap home, it’s best to be more specific in your online search and don’t just rely on general words like ‘cheap home’ or ‘good deal’.

Be flexible when it comes to DIY

If you are up for DIY, you can get a fixer-upper home at a lower price. All you need is to take some time off and do the renovation work yourself. Not only will it make your home look better, but it will also help in saving money on labour costs.

Fixer Upper Homes: Fixer-upper homes are properties that have not been renovated or updated for a long time. Even if the property doesn’t have any major structural damage, they may need new paint and flooring, as well as other cosmetic improvements.

Investors are starting to pay attention to the potential in fixer-upper homes. With a low purchase price and a lower mortgage, it is easier than ever to buy a fixer-upper house.

The process of fixing up a home can be very rewarding; you have the opportunity to make your house uniquely yours. It also has the potential to be profitable, too. Fixing up your home can increase its value by hundreds of thousands of dollars if you do it right!

Conclusion

Now, you’ve seen the best ways to buy a house for 100k or less. So, what are you waiting for? Start scrolling and find your dream home today!

Bio

Our Property under 20k team are the founders of www.propertyunder20k.com and www.listproperty4free.com with the goal to search the cheapest real estate in the world and make it easy for others to find. The team is made up of landlords, real estate investors, architects and builders from several different countries.  We just love to have a good strong cup of coffee while we write our experiences in this blog.

Image by Siggy Nowak on Pixabay