Searching for a home in Florida? What you need to know.

Searching for a home in Florida can be exciting. Especially for someone that is moving from the colder and high taxed states to the Sunshine State. However, there are many mistakes that people make on their search for a home in Florida.

There are many communities that offer great lifestyles and have luxury amenities. It’s easy to look around and be sold instantly on the perfect community and perfect house, condo or mobile home park. After all, it is the Florida lifestyle that attracts most people.

There are a few things you can do to make sure it’s the right place for you before you sign on the dotted line for that perfect home in Florida.

• Speak to the neighbors. The neighbors can be a great source of information about how the community is ran or how things are in the neighborhood. It will also give you an idea about the people that you will be living near. Keep in mind, there are always going to be those that are constant complainers, but if you talk to a few neighbors, you can get a good idea about the neighborhood. Real estate agents are a great source of information, but their job is to sell the home and the neighborhood.

 

• Make sure that you read and understand all of the rules and regulations of the community, if purchasing in a HOA community. Some communities will not allow trucks, trucks with cabs, parking on the driveway, motorcycles, RV’s, boats, fences and have many other regulations. If you have such things that are not allowed, you will have to plan on storing them off the community property or getting rid of them altogether.

 

• When building a new home, Do your research on the developer and again, speak to the neighbors. Many times people are expecting to close on a specific date to find out it’s going to be a month or a few months longer. This can result because of the inspections, permits, and other obstacles that can extend the closing date. It’s a common occurrence and happens often. The banks are another story altogether.

• Be diligent and contact everyone involved in the process of purchasing your home in Florida. This will help ensure that everything is moving along to make the expected closing date. It is not recommended to hire the moving company and make the final plans unless you are sure the closing date is going to be close to accurate.    If you think that your closing date is going to be delayed and your belongings will need to be shipped, plan on getting a storage unit. When looking for a storage unit, you will need to contact a facility at least one month ahead of time to make sure you can get a unit close to your area and can fit your belongings. Storage is a commodity in Florida.

 

• Plan before you make the big move into your new home in Florida. Many times people find that after they move, the furniture and other belongings that fit in the old home do not fit into the new home.  Also, the old decor does not always feel the same.  It is recommended to do the measurements of your furniture to make sure it will fit into your new space. As for the decor, take plenty of pictures and make sure you are going to like it the same as you do in your current home. This way you can make the transition from your old home into your new home and it will have the look and feel you that you want when you move in.

Most people that move to Florida had basements, attics and large garages to store excess furniture and belongings in their old home. Homes in Florida often do not have the space needed for all the extras. You may want to consider living away or selling any extras to avoid the expense of having to pay for storage.

By taking a few simple steps when looking for that perfect home in Florida, can save you time, money and energy. Moving is stressful enough and planning ahead time can alleviate some of the stress involved in making the big move to your new home.