Purchasing a home is generally thought of as a stressful journey, fraught with many hurdles and fraudulent wrongdoings by builders, brokers and sellers. But it need not always be so, not when you are armed with preliminary knowledge about the legal and financial pre-requisites and are guided with complete information and understanding about the house you’re going to buy. Of course, if you’re a first-time homebuyer you must chalk out your personal expenses and incomes beforehand and then decide how much you actually want to spend on your home.

What’s more, once you are absolutely certain that you want to purchase a house, make sure that you have some surplus amount remaining to make way for the ancillary expenses pertaining to the home purchase as well as contingency requirements that may arise later on.

Here we have compiled a checklist on the things you need to ask yourself before you sign the dotted line

This should be one of the first questions to ask your broker whenyou’re discussing the prospects of the house. Before you can arrive at an offer price or commence negotiation, you must know the ‘real’ reason for the house sale.

Remember, every seller/ listed advertiser will promote their house as being in perfect condition and it is your job to know where the problem is. It’s possible that it may not be a problem at all, but you’ve exercised caution and done due diligence on your part.

Ask the seller or broker directly if there’s a problem with the house. Remember, if a professional home inspection is being done, you will probably come to know about any underlying issues anyway. Nonetheless, asking direct questions will give you a fair idea about the prior resident’s records, distress issues and/or bad history of the house.

Enquire about the nearby schools and if they are suitable for you. What about the nearest hospital or the bus depot? What about any history with regard to the crime rates. It is better to ask your broker about these things beforehand.

While buying a house, assumption is your worst enemy. It’s best toask about the inclusions at first. If the new tiling is going to cost you additionally, you should know about it, isn’t it?

This is an extremely vital question that will determine the price and make room for negotiation, if any. A house which has not sold for a long time may probably have some underlying problem that you are not aware of. If you’re still convinced you want to buy it, make sure you negotiate the price with the seller; chances are they will probably accept it.

Small and minor cosmetic changes are natural and expected. Even some renovations of rooms and kitchens are normal. However, you need to be alert if there has been considerable change from the original design or layout. It’s possible that there are hidden leaks and cracks that are being covered.

Yes, buying a house is a significant milestone in a person’s lifetime but it should not come at the expense of being foolhardy. Find out if it makes more financial sense to live on rent rather than making an outright purchase. Many working couples, even single on-the-go people prefer renting a house as compared to purchasing it.

The real estate industry is facing a bit of a slowdown and property prices are not appreciating as fast as they were previously thought of. You’ll need to consider the interest of the home loan versus the property price rise. Looking at charts of price trends and speaking to the broker about the said locality should throw a little light on  this aspect.

Vaastu Shastra, Kan Yu and Feng Shui are sciences that have brought wealth, prosperity and happiness to many and if you’re a believer in this science, it helps to find out the details in advance. Which rooms will face what, will there be any modifications required?

Find out the age of the property and enquire about how long the present occupants have resided in it. If the property has repeatedly been sold and resold, you need to exercise caution. Lots of it.