Buying a home is an exciting life accomplishment for anyone! The home buying process can be draining, but making mistakes at the end can cause even more work before the final settlement. With the Covid-19 pandemic going on, some areas have implemented further restrictions on the home buying and selling process, and many processes have changed. From the first knock on the door to submitting an offer, you’ve been there and done that, so here are seven key items to keep in mind as you go through the final steps in acquiring a new home!

Triple Check the Paperwork

There’s never been a more important time to make sure you’ve read the fine print than right now. Review anything requiring a signature or acknowledgment line by line to ensure that your understanding of the agreement matches up with what’s on paper. Save yourself time and trouble later by doing your due diligence now.

Walk Through the Property with a Professional

There’s always more than meets the eye with houses. What might look brand new could be crumbling beneath, and without a trained eye, these material defects can easily go unnoticed. Walking through the property with an appraiser, home repair expert, or property inspector is a must-do before finalizing an offer.

Visit the Neighborhood More Than Once

Visiting a home, neighborhood, or city once is akin to viewing it in a snapshot in time. To truly get a feel for a new block or region, it’s important to visit multiple times before committing to it. Especially with the pandemic, many neighborhoods have a different feel now than they usually do. Take a drive, ride public transportation, or explore it on foot to get an on-the-ground feel for the area before you plant your feet down within it.