Wednesday, September 14, 2011

3 Costs to Think About When Buying a House

By Matt Sonnenberg


Almost everyone recognizes that buying a house is a large purchase. However, have you ever really sat down and analyzed the amount of money is actually involved?

You will discover three essential items you need to take into account when buying your house: Upfront Costs, Recurring Costs, and Future Costs.

Upfront costs are the most basic charges. Alas this is often the only expense that individuals take into account once they determine that they want to buy a house. The upfront costs might include: house downpayment, closing costs, moving fees, appliances, and furniture.

These costs certainly need to be taken into account as they tend to be the chief portion of all the costs. However it is important to keep in mind that we still have two additional elements to take care of.

When you have settled into your home you will likely feel broke because you just handed over the biggest check you are likely to ever see in your lifetime. Having said that, I'm hoping that you're not broke yet given that you just bought a boatload of recurring costs. Congratulations!

Now that you're a property owner you must worry about necessities like gas, electricity, water, and even garbage removal. These are the beginning of recurring charges. Should you want to be associated to the outside world you should remember your phone, Internet, and cable payments.

Even if you had been living alone previously, you probably didn't have to concern yourself with every one of these payments. Most apartment buildings are going to at least pay for your water and trash bills. They might not necessarily be costly, but don't forget to cover them!

The Future Costs might be the most bothersome. While some of these it is possible to plan for, several you never know specifically when they're coming or if they are coming at all.

The most significant Future Cost is in fact a recurring cost, but thankfully this only comes once annually. This is your Property Tax. Every year you are now responsible for paying for your property taxes. This is a fee imposed by the federal government that costs a few thousand dollars. The exact tax varies from house to house and will often change every year.

The good thing pertaining to Property Tax is that you know it's coming, so you can save for it.

Some other Future Costs often include property maintenance and remodeling items.

In case the furnace fails in the middle of the winter season, you need to get it repaired. If a storm puts a dent in your roof top, you have to get it repaired. If you wish to repaint your house, you'll need to pay for it. If you want to redo the deck, you have to find the time and money to get it done.

No one has ever said that being a home owner is easy or cheap. So prior to deciding to jump into it, make sure that you are prepared to take on all of the expenses which are involved.




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