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4 Common Homebuyer Mistakes – and How Gallagher and Henry Helps You Avoid Them
As purchasing a home requires a substantial investment, the homebuying process can spiral into an overwhelming endeavor. Given such high stakes, it is inevitable that homebuyers face uncertainty and doubt, if not anxiety and angst, that leads to missteps or misgivings.
Gallagher and Henry is here to help you navigate this process with ease and confidence.
1. A Common Mistake: Rushing to Buy
Quite often, homebuyers feel pressured to act fast. If they fail to move decisively, after all, a desired property can be scooped up. Making such a hefty decision under intense pressure, however, is no way to make a significant life move and a likely path to buyer’s remorse.
How Gallagher and Henry Helps: At Gallagher and Henry, there are no high-pressured sales pitches, no urgent buy-or-die deadlines. We have been building homes in the Chicago area since 1954 and we are not going anywhere. We are committed to our homeowners and our business. As a family-owned, family-operated homebuilder, we want you to feel confident in your choice. So, we will supply earnest answers to your questions, connect you to helpful resources, and give you the time and space to make an informed, assured decision.
2. A Common Mistake: Failing to Survey the Market
Even the most informed homebuyers can fall prey to assumptions. They think their budget limits them to a certain area or to the resale market, for instance, and they fail to consider new home construction as a viable option.
How Gallagher and Henry Helps: Gallagher and Henry’s sales offices and model homes are open Thursday-Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Stop in and explore. Ask questions. Gather information on Gallagher and Henry’s points of differentiation. Learn about the specific Gallagher and Henry community you are visiting as well as others across the southwest and western suburbs. Our floor plans are available on our website for your perusal 24/7. We are also transparent with our prices and standard features, while we can also cost out any modifications you might be interested in seeing.
3. A Common Mistake: Waiting for Perfection
You are wise to create a wish list of wants and needs to guide your home search. But searching for the “unicorn,” the home that checks every last box, can produce an extended, frustrating home search.
How Gallagher and Henry Helps: You do not need to wait for perfection. Rather, go out and grab it. Gallagher and Henry currently has homesites available in eight communities while our Lifestyle Series includes six distinct home plans – four two-story options and two ranch plans. And though we build with brick, our home plans are pliable. You want a larger kitchen? A fifth bedroom? Another full bathroom? Extra windows delivering natural light? Specific finishes? Our plans serve as a starting point and our construction know-how enables us to flex the plans and deliver on specific requests from our homebuyers.
4. A Common Mistake: Miscalculating the Costs of Homeownership
Owning a home is more than the monthly mortgage payment, as numerous other costs come into play, including property taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance. These expenses can – and do – add up, and that can put stress on household finances.
How Gallagher and Henry Helps: Gallagher and Henry has established relationships with experienced lenders who can help homebuyers secure competitive rates and gain clarity on monthly principal and interest payments rooted in their personal financial circumstances, not hypotheticals. Even more, moving into a new Gallagher and Henry home minimizes maintenance costs, especially on big-ticket items. There will be no needing a new roof or furnace, windows or appliances anytime soon, as everything in your home comes new and under warranty. On the utilities front, meanwhile, all new Gallagher and Henry homes carry the ENERGY STAR label, which reduces energy use 15-30 percent on an annual basis.