Step-by-step guide to purchasing a new home in Charleston SC

It is easy to set goals for ourselves when it comes to fitness or establish new habits for our happiness and career.  The key to achieving these goals is to devise a realistic game plan and stick with it.  If shopping for a new home is a goal on your To Do list, it is important to treat it just as you would any other mission you are trying to achieve. Here are several pointers to get you started.
 

1.    Establish a timetable. Determine when you plan to buy a new home. Are you shooting for this summer? Or maybe the start of next year? Are you looking for a quick move-in home because you need to be out of your current home or apartment by the end of the year?  Set a realistic timeline that you can comfortably stick to and then start getting your paperwork together, applying to be pre-approved for a loan, or even start job hunting if you plan to relocate.
 

2.    Investigate your options.  Do some legwork early in the game by researching locations, communities, and builders in your price range. Establishing a relationship with a financial or mortgage advisor early on will help you to determine what you can afford within your budget. CharlestonNewHomesGuide.com can help you with everything except for prequalification. Use our website and the homepage’s Quick Search to look for area new home neighborhoods, builders, location, price and/or lifestyle.
 

3.    Beat the streets & tour new neighborhoods. The more homes you see in real life, the more you’ll know exactly what you want. And while reading about a 3-bedroom home with a bonus loft, spacious layouts, and open kitchen with a large island might help you paint a picture, it isn’t nearly the same as walking through it and seeing it firsthand. Don’t just think of it as doing your “homework,” have fun and enjoy the process! Model homes are some of the most gorgeously designed homes you’ll see, and you might pick up some great decorating tips.
 

4.    Interview new home builders. Yes, actually interview them. Purchasing a new home is   a large financial purchase and you don’t want to enter into a relationship with a homebuilder that you don’t know much about. Personal recommendations from friends and coworkers are a great way to hear about builders but it doesn’t guarantee that their neighborhood or builder is the right one for you.  Think of it like a new job or a marriage—you wouldn’t just jump into either without time and consideration on whether you’d be a good match, whether the other half can meet your needs, and whether you think the partnership will last. You want a homebuilding process you can be a part of, and a home that will make you proud.  On average most people visit seven to 10 neighborhoods before they buy, so don’t feel bad taking your time to sit down and meet with one, two or even 10 builders if that’s what it takes to get the information that you need.
 

5.    Identify “wants” vs. “must haves” and areas of compromise.  This step is even more important if you are purchasing a home with another person.  You need to know before signing on the dotted line if one person prefers to have the master bedroom on the first-floor whereas and the other wants it on the second-floor. Do you need a kitchen island or dual vanities in the master bedroom? Do you need or just really want a wraparound front porch up front or a screened in back? Scroll through floorplans of various homes. Make sure you get just the home you want, after all this is your big investment.
 

6.    Make your decision. Pick a community, a builder and a floorplan and watch your dream home become a reality.

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Thank you for reading and sharing our articles from The Greater Charleston New Homes Guide. Our business is to know Charleston, SC's new home construction, home builders, neighborhoods, and homes so we may assist you as you take your new construction home journey. Please take the time to explore our site. The Greater Charleston New Homes Guide is considered the best and most reliable ‘local’ resource to new home construction, builders, neighborhoods, and homes throughout the Lowcountry since 2004.

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