PLANNING FOR YOUR FIRST HOME: My Dream Closet Sneak Peek!

A Sneak-Peek of my current closet // full post coming soon!

It's such an exciting time to be twenty-five. Now only is it time to settle down and get married to the man of my dreams, but it's also time to buy our first house! A little home, just for us! Buying a home is one of the most challenging things for a young adult to do so I wanted to share some of the tips that I've learned along the way.

Hammer Out The Basics
The first thing that you need to do is have The Talk. Yes, it's the one your thinking of. The "where is this going" talk. Are we looking into a house or a condo? Is this our 3 year, 5 year, or 10 year home? How many bedrooms/bathrooms do we need? And most importantly, where do we want to live? Location, location, location. These are all basics that you should talk out before you even think about the fun stuff like granite countertops or hardwood floors.

Make A List, Then Remake It.
You watch HGTV - House Hunters, Property Brothers, the whole shebang. But when it comes to owning your own home you [and your partner] need to decide on what your non-negotiable and would-be-nice items are. For us, we had the obvious: open floor plan, upgraded kitchen, large master suite. However, the things that were uniquely important to us were things like: being close to a major interstate, having a large driveway, and having a unique entertaining space. Things like a "man-cave" and "cloffice" were on our would-be-nice list.

Start Early, Get Preapproved, Ask for Help
Home ownership is a challenge, so take help where you can get it. Your parents, friends, or co-workers may be able to recommend a good real estate agent to assist with your search. Additionally, you will need to get preapproved from a lender. Of course, this means how much can you afford? Million dollar question. Capital One has some great resources to help you figure out the answer to that particular question and many more on their new Home Loans Online Neighborhood.

This post was sponsored by Capital One and I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls. As always, the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.