Tricks To Save More On Your Home Purchase

Owning a property is a 'dream' that most of us nurture. And, as soon as we can, we would want to enter what is perceived as our own personal heaven on earth. The sentimental value attached to owning a home often overshadows the materialistic point of view — that is, the money involved in making this dream come true. When the dream becomes a reality, the rising expenditure starts pinching, often forcing you to think whether the 2-BHK apartment you bought after taking the hefty loan that you will spend your lifetime repaying is worth it. This is why rather than being completely emotionally driven, you should also focus on the money part in the matters of property purchase.

Now, how can you keep the burden as low as possible?

• Keeping the loan amount low: In the good old days, they used all their retirement money to buy a house. While that phase might be passé, there is a lot you can learn from the old ways. Back then, people did not have to take loans to fund their houses. They certainly did not enjoy the many tax benefits and the luxury of living in their own homes early in their lives, but they also did not struggle with a lifetime of loan burden. They also did not pay huge money as interest on their home loan amount. The logic that you become a house owner while you are still young may also be overrated in a way. Technically speaking, you do not become a house owner till you repay the bank every penny that you have taken as loan. Now, though there is no need to wait till you retire before you buy a house, there can be a middle path. You should try to keep the loan amount as low as possible. For this, you should try to arrange a large part of the property cost from your own savings and take a home loan to only bridge the deficit, if necessary.

• Family before bank: They tell you the benefits of availing of a home loan are many. The interest rates are low at present, the tax benefits are too attractive to ignore, etc. But even a naïve buyer knows that he has to pay off everything with a huge interest, and what is termed a 'benefit' may not actually be that beneficial. So, before you decide to approach a bank with your home loan application, do weight the other possible options that you have. Consider taking a good look at family resources and savings and asking family members if they can help you with a loan. Remember that a borrower is busy paying off only the interest for a large part of the bank loan tenure. If you take the loan from family, it would be much easier to pay the debt.

• Space or convenience? The benefits of living in bigger cities are many and we all want to have a piece of them. This is why we are willing to pay any price for them. However, often ignored is the fact that in big cities you pay a huge price for a tiny space, which might not serve the purpose as your family expands and your needs change with time. The bad traffic conditions in your large city will bother you more as you grow old. Do think whether the quality of air that you will have to breathe now and, more importantly as an older person, is worth the price you are going to pay. Smaller cities, by comparison, have bigger spaces to offer for the same amount, or even less, their traffic conditions are better and the air is less polluted.