Buying a home is a complicated process with a lot of steps. From finding the right home, getting pre-approved, filling out paperwork, getting appraisals and inspections, and closing, buying a home is not easy nor simple.

Before signing that final form and getting the keys in your hands, there are some definite do’s and don’ts of buying a home. We’ve got five things you absolutely shouldn’t do when buying a home.

Don’t Buy New Furniture Just Yet

Until you have the keys in your hands, don’t buy new furniture to fill the house. At any point, the seller could back out of the sale, something could go wrong and delay the sale, and you’ll be left with furniture and no place to keep it.

Go ahead and shop around, find furniture you like, but if you buy it early and don’t get the home, you’ll either need to return it all or find a way to store it till you do get a home. Rather than deal with this annoyance, just wait till you're in the house to make the purchase.

Don’t Use Your Credit

Your credit score plays a key part in whether you get a house or not. A high credit score can get you a lower interest rate, get you approved for a larger loan, and ultimately the kind of home you can afford.

When you first start house hunting, you get pre-approved by different lenders to shop around and find the best mortgage for you. They take your credit score, income, and a few other factors to determine how much they are willing to loan you. From that point going forward, stop using your credit.

Any changes to your credit from the pre-approval to closing can affect the loan you get. Put a pause on utilizing your credit in all forms. Don’t take out any new loans, don’t open a new credit card, pay all of your bills on time and in full, and don’t finance anything like furniture or items for the new home. If your score drops enough, you might get a completely different loan or might even get your loan rejected.

Don’t Skip on the Inspection

When buying a home, you’ll have the option to have it inspected to make sure it is up to code. While it might cost you a few hundred dollars, do it! You need to be aware of any and all issues the house has before buying it.

An inspection is meant to find out what is wrong with the house, from code violations to small cosmetic issues. This could include a range of items, like a flooded crawl space, a worn out roof, chipped paint, and mold. If the inspection comes back with a host of problems you don’t want to deal with, you can negotiate with the sellers to fix the items, or you can even just walk away from buying the home.

Even if you are buying a brand new home, get an inspection. That way, you are assured that it’s built up to the correct standards and you won’t get a nasty surprise. Don’t just assume that because it’s new doesn’t mean the home might have some flaws.

Avoid a Job Change

Part of the loan process is looking at your current income to see how much a month you can afford. As you go through buying a home, your lender is going to ask for pay stubs on a regular basis to make sure your income holds steady.

If you can avoid it at all costs, don’t change jobs while buying a house. A change in employment can drastically impact your loan. Even if you get a new job that pays more, a lender might want to wait till your first couple of paychecks before approving the loan.

Now, if you lose your job, you should put buying a house on pause. Getting a loan without being able to pay for it is a dangerous situation. Make sure your finances are secure before moving forward.

Don’t Accept the First Loan You Get Approved For

Just like any big purchase, you should shop around for the best value with your mortgage. The first offer you get might not be the best one for your situation. Or the second, or even the third. Shop around with different lenders to find one with the best rates for you.

Pioneer offers mortgages to those looking to buy a home. With a great team to support you in this complex and long process and great rates, check out what we can do for you. Check out our rates and apply for pre-approval today!

See Today's Rates!