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If you are on the market for a new home, it is an exciting time in your life. However, don't let your excitement subsume the importance of meticulous research and careful decision making. To help you out, we polled several hundred real estate agents in northern Virginia to find out what exactly you should do before you purchase a house.

The first suggestion we received from Arlington VA real estate agents was to always obtain an unbiased inspection of any property before purchasing. Don't trust the inspector the homeowner provided; they have a vested interest in giving you a clean bill of health. Also don't pick an inspector randomly from the phone book. Ask friends or real estate agents whom they would recommend. A study of Northern Virginia homes for sale found that homebuyers who got an independent inspection were 80% more likely to be happy with their purchase six months later.

You need to make sure you do your own walkthrough. In the event that you observe something that you dislike, even if it's small, mention it to your real estate agent. These small problems you see can be valuable later when you are negotiating. A real estate agent that we interviewed said that in their experience, when their clients took a detailed walkthrough of Northern Virginia homes for sale, the new owners almost always got a terrific deal on their house.

Real estate agents in northern Virginia suggest new home owners should know which aspects of a new home could end up costing them money if they are not well taken care of. These aspects include hardwood floors, the roof, carpeting, water heaters, air conditioners, and even a built-in pool can be a potential money pit. Make sure a built-in pool is inspected before purchasing a home, as well as those other items.

The difference between Northern Virginia new homes for sale and older homes for sale is also critical. Real estate agents point out that purchasers of older homes will end up spending between 10 and 40 percent more in maintenance costs than purchasers of newer homes over the lifetime of the building. However, it is important to also keep in mind the fact that in some markets, older homes are more inexpensive to start with, possibly making this maintenance cost increase less relevant.

Whatever the reason for purchasing a home or upgrading, listening to real estate agents advice will make your purchase and research a lot easier and save your time, frustrations and money. The market for Northern Virginia homes for sale is a tough market at the moment but you can make the most with your money with our advice.