Let's face it; buying a home is a major expense. But why make it more expensive than necessary? Play the buying game right and you can cut costs AND buy the house that's best for you. Watch out for these common but costly pitfalls:

The Wrong House
One costly mistake is choosing the wrong house: maybe one too big or too small for future needs, or a fixer-upper if you're not handy, a house too far from work or too close to traffic, one likely to need extensive fixing up, or a home in the wrong price range. Avoid this #1 trap by working with me to define your present and future needs, what location is most suitable, what level of fixing-up is comfortable, and how much you can afford for maintenance, utilities and everyday life after moving in.

Bidding Blind
Some buyers offer a contract above the true market value of the property or fail to bid on a great value because they don't know the market. Don't try to do it alone. Consult with your realtor about recent comparative sales to avoid overpaying or underbidding on the home you choose.

Title
A title search may reveal encumbrances on the property title like tax liens, easements, leases or an undisclosed co-owner. Avoid this trap by having the title search done early, if possible, and by buying owner's title insurance to protect your investment in case a problem surfaces later.

Survey Surprises
The property survey may show the lot boundaries are different from the property plot; a neighbour's fence is over the line, or zoning regulations have been violated. Avoid the trap by asking to see the seller's survey made back when the seller bought the house, and go over any additions or variations with your real estate agent. Also, have your new survey done early.

Defects
Avoid surprises by first doing a careful inspection of the house, and then consider an independent home inspector to check the house inside and out. Have the inspector report to you any items needing attention, the cost to fix them or the repercussions if they are left as is. Contract settlement should be contingent upon the inspector's report.

Hidden Fees
Some lenders add questionable charges at closing that were not shown on the documentation. Avoid these fees by asking the lender at application time exactly what fees are included and what additional fees may be charged at closing. Some of these fees can be negotiated down or waived for the customer who complains.

Closing Rush
Insist on seeing the settlement sheets the day before closing. That way, you'll avoid last-minute problems - such as an interest rate or points other than you agreed to showing up on the paperwork. Sometimes missing the settlement date because of an eleventh-hour snag endangers the locked-in interest rate or the entire sale. Don't get trapped by a too-close closing. Get a sufficient lock-in period for your loan interest rate, if possible and give yourself that much time to close the sale.

Wrong Type of Neighbourhood
Once you locate a home that appears to fit everyone's needs, take a second look! If you originally viewed the property on a weekend, drive by during weekday rush hour. Check with the local municipal authorities to see if a major highway plan is in the works - one that will produce a backyard oasis of incessant noise. Investigate airport extensions and shopping center improvements. Heavy traffic blaring into your quiet serenity can destroy your solitude. Consider your outdoor lifestyle. Do you hold family barbecues, enjoy sitting outside, or invite family and friends to vacation with their recreational vehicles in your backyard? In many cases, excessive traffic noise can hamper a quiet conversation by the creek. You many also find out for the first time just how lightly you sleep. There are also the potential toxic fumes leaking from vehicle exhaust. Do you want your children and yourselves breathing this in? It may take only a month or two to realize the grave mistakes you've made.

Buying Outside of Your Budget
We are all familiar with more funds going out than what is coming in. Kids these days always want the best regardless of whether they can really afford it or not. It is easy for a Real Estate Agent to nod their head and make the quick commission. Careful budgeting is the order of the day! First time Buyers be warned that it is very easy to buy beyond your means, as you count on dual incomes until the new baby arrives. It is better to buy the home you need and can comfortably afford than experience being forced to sell and buy down. House rich and cash poor is not the way to experience life! On the opposite end of the scale is purchasing a home that offers less function and feature than what you really need. Inevitably, you will end up purchasing the right home and have to bear the cost of reselling and moving again.

Over/Under Estimating Your Housing Needs
A $10,000+ mistake can occur when you purchase with only the immediate timeframe in mind. You opted for no family room, and three months later are delighted to learn your first child is on its way. Or your children all leave home in the same year and now you find yourself rambling around in empty rooms! On the other hand, when parents downsize too early, they find their adult children have rebounded with a few extra additions! Consider all your options carefully. Saving your hard earned money is a definite plan!

Retirement & Condo/Apartment Living
You are now both retired from the workplace and are beginning to contemplate that a smaller residence is just what the doctor ordered. No more high maintenance yard work, shovelling snow or too many rooms to clean. A year after moving to what was once just the right size for the two of you, you find yourself missing those workshop projects that the family loves to receive, or tending the garden you spent years creating. Perhaps you are now facing widowhood and the condo walls speak too many memories. Purchasing a condo or apartment too early for your lifestyle is an error that can be avoided. Determine your needs realistically:

• Are the retirement activities in line with your lifestyle?
• Are the local amenities close by?
• Is the strata council open to family members, especially children, vacationing?
• Do you prefer a 55 and older building?
• Do the strata rules forbid small pets?
• Are you in the same age bracket as the current residents?
• Is it a couple oriented building or singles only?
• What are the noise restrictions?
• Can hanging baskets and lawn chairs decorate your balcony?
• How many parking stalls per unit?
• Can you perform minor car repairs?
• Are the personal and building security systems to your liking?

Overlooking Schools & Children
Is your new home close enough for the children to walk to their new school, is there bus service just down the street, does the school offer academics suitable to your children's needs, or is it right next door and you've reached a point in your life where you would prefer quiet solitude? Caught up in the passion of your new home, it is easy to overlook and undermine these questions. After six months of taxiing your children to and from school, you may find yourself experiencing the need for more freedom. By graduation, your children may find that had they attended another secondary school, the university prerequisites would have been fulfilled. You may thoroughly enjoy sitting alone in your private backyard only to find recess noise and the school's outdoor gym activities hamper your need for solitude. Determine the answers with your Real Estate Agent before signing on the dotted line!

Yard Maintenance
The thought of your own swimming pool, the manicured lawns, or the beautiful English garden in full bloom, it's lovely to look at, but do you want to spend the time required to keep everything in top working order? Do you have the funds required to hire a full-time landscape architect? In some cases, you may be better suited for townhouse living where yard maintenance is part of the contract, and the local recreation center offers swimming and exercise programs tailored to your lifestyle needs.

Property Surveys