Don’t outfit your home before you buy it

One big mistake home buyers can make is making large purchases just before they close on a real estate deal.

When you buy a new home, you’re excited to decorate with nice new things and some of them can be quite expensive. You might even be really excited and choose to put a new car in the garage. But adding large expenses, especially if they are financed expenses, will change the way a lender evaluates your ability to take on a home loan. Adding to much new debt or shrinking that savings account just before closing could lead to a delay in the sale and a lender reevaluating your loan.

That new couch can wait.

Most of the time, these purchases wouldn’t prevent a buyer from still purchasing the home, but if your timing is particularly bad, you could cause a delay that is impacted by a change in interest rates. That might mean the car you just wouldn’t wait to get will now cost thousands more than it should have over the course of your home loan.

Once you have agreed to the details of a home loan, you should be prepared to wait a few weeks or even a month or longer for the deal to be finalized before making any large purchases. If you absolutely have to make a large purchase before your closing date, you should always make sure to make your lender aware of the purchase and the reasons why it can’t wait. Remember, impulsive decisions can make some lenders nervous and might cause them to question the choice and even delay the sale.

It’s always best to wait until the property is yours before buying that new refrigerator or putting that down payment for a new swimming pool in the backyard. You have patiently worked hard for years to put yourself in position to buy a home. Don’t sabotage it in the homestretch by losing that patience that has served you well.