Buying a home is always a big investment. What are the rules to follow to prepare your research properly? What is the correct question to ask yourself to carry out your scheme? This part of our real estate buying guide takes you to step by step on the path to the acquisition of a lifetime.

Home buying: the different stages

Buying a home is not a project to be taken lightly. In the vast majority of cases, your house will be your main residence: you must, therefore, take the time to choose well. A procedure that begins with asking the correct question and important your wants.

 New house or old house?

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Buying a new home gives you the right to financial assistance, including the zero-rate loan and the exemption from property tax for two years from the completion of the work (or up to five years if the housing meets certain standards). In addition, gaining costs are lower (2 to 3%). However, if you desire to build, you will first require to find land to buy. Buying a house in the old allows you to live in a property with more charm and cachet, sometimes even more solid than new constructions (everything depends, of course on the budget you have, charming homes in city ​​center cost much more than “new” townhouses). You can also benefit from the zero-rate loan if you are a first-time buyer, but the conditions are more drastic than in the new one (work must be necessary: ​​see the dedicated page on Service-public ).

A  house to live in right away or to modernize?

This is one of the fair rules of the real estate bazaar: if a vendor wants to sell his goods additional easily, he must make sure that visitors can protect themselves into it. This implies limiting as much as possible the number of objects and knick-knacks visible, even putting a touch of paint to give the property a more “neutral” appearance. So when you visit the house, you are able to quickly know if you see yourself putting your furniture and suitcases there, without touching anything.

However, there is another possibility: buy a house in the old one to renovate it. In this box, you must, before signing a sale agreement, make a tip on the extent of the work to be intended: the solidity of the building and state of its structure; waterproofing of the roof; insulation of walls, floor, and attic; electrical, gas, water and sanitation standards. If you are not a handyman yourself, be accompanied by a professional who will be able to point the finger at the important points not to be omitted. Also think about the fact that buying a house to renovate involves embarking on some administrative procedures in order to file advance declarations of work, or even to obtain building permits.