In the market for a new home? If you’re not right now, you might be at some point in your life. Home ownership is one of those life milestones that doesn’t seem to be losing its importance as time goes by. And it is a real milestone – a huge commitment that affects not only your finances but your whole life.

So let’s say you just got your loan pre-approved, something you should always do when buying a home. What comes next is finding the home of your dreams. Here are some tips that should help you make a good choice.

Work with a Good Real Estate Agent  

When buying a new home, a good real estate agent can be your most valuable ally. You might think that you could do their job if only you’d put enough time into researching the market and area where you’re looking to buy a home. You’d be dead wrong, however.

A good real estate agent will tell you things about the neighborhood you won’t be able to find out any other way. They’ll know the houses on the market intimately. They’ll be able to work with you to get exactly what you want at a price you can afford. So maybe instead of doing all the work to research the market on your own, invest your time into vetting real professionals.

Know What You’re Looking For

You shouldn’t go into a process such as buying a new home without having a good idea about the outcome you’ll want from it. And no, being a homeowner is not the outcome. Getting a home that you like is the outcome, which is why it’s very important to determine what is it that you’re looking for.

Everything from the style and materials of the house itself, to the school district it’s in and the daily commute to work and back are things that matter. You should want them to be a certain way – there should be good schools nearby if you have kids of that age. You shouldn’t have too long of a commute to and from work. You should have a brick house if that’s what you want.

Think About All the Costs of Owning the Home

Here’s something you shouldn’t forget about – insuring your new home. How about the utilities’ costs, or repairs and fixes, or some other type of work you’ll do while adapting the house? And then how about the age of your home, does that factor in? Will you have to replace any plumbing anytime soon?

Your new home will cost you more than just the money you’ll have to pay to buy it. There will be living expenses, insurance expenses, and all kinds of other ways that the building will try to leach out your money. And that’s perfectly fine – every home does that. They’re like endless pits you throw your money it but also worth it because of their value increases. Just make sure that you’ll be able to afford it down the line.

Go into It with Some Cash to Spend

Piggybacking on the previous advice, you should never enter a new home without any money to spend on it immediately. It doesn’t mean that you’ll have to, although you probably will. But you want to be prepared for all the costs we’ve mentioned earlier.