Should you get married and buy a house at the same time? Now that's the million dollar question.
Sure, both are high stress and high dollar investments, but there is absolutely no reason you can't do both at the same time. In fact, as a wedding planner, I would say that nearly a quarter of our couples fall into that category. Crazy, right?
Well, just like with anything, as long as you are prepared and you set your expectations accordingly, getting married and buying a house at the same time will feel like a relatively easy process. In order to make this process easier for you, I am sharing my top 5 tips to guide you through this process and I sincerely hope it helps!
START EARLY
Believe it of not, getting into your dream home may take longer than you think. It may be that the 'right' house isn't on the market yet or your offer won't get accepted on the first time. And you know what? All of that is all completely NORMAL.
The reason I want you to start this process early is because I don't want you to be closing on a house and getting married in the same month. Both of these are very stressful (and exciting!) events, but if they both occur in the same month, there is a chance that you won't fully enjoy either experience.
With that being said, I encourage you to plan ahead! Get pre-approved and start working with a real estate agent sooner rather than later. This is going to build in some buffer time and is going to help eliminate unnecessary stress as you get closer to your wedding day.
If you need a good agent, we've got you covered! We have partnered with an AMAZING agent who is ready to help answer all of your questions. Simply click the link below to set up a time to speak with him. (No pressure at all here, he honestly just wants to help. :) )
Schedule A Time To Talk
DON'T MIX YOUR FUNDS
Both buying a house and getting married are both big expenses. My recommendation would be to create TWO separate accounts: one for the wedding and one for the new home. This will hep keep you on track and will ensure you have enough set aside for both life events.
COMMUNICATE
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Did I say that enough?
Both buying a house and getting married are high stress situations and it's important for you and your fiance to be on the same page. Be sure to communicate your top priorities. Communicate your ideal budget. And communicate on your stress levels. Having a VERY open line of communication is going to be key to staying sane and on the same page through this emotional process.
BUILD IN A FINANCIAL BUFFER
It can be easy to look at your savings account and dedicate every dollar to either your wedding, honeymoon or new house. And this is something I want you to be very cautious in doing. All of these are events that can easily go over budget and I don't want you to be worried that you don't have the funds to make them happen.
Instead, I want you to set aside a 'buffer account.' This is money that you are setting aside to be used on an 'as needed' / 'emergency' situation. This way you won't be stressing if something goes slightly over budget.
WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS
I know I've mentioned this a few times already, but both buying a house and getting married are VERY stressful events. In order to aleviate some of the stress, I would recommend working with professionals. They are going to not only keep you calm, but will also walk you through the entire process, help you stay on budget and will serve as the 'middle man' if you and your fiance are not completely on the same page.
Now, what professionals am I talking about? There are lots, but the two key ones here are going to be a realtor and a wedding planner. Trust me, once all the craziness begins, you will be glad you have a team of pros in your corner!
LET'S GET STARTED
Oh... and did I mention that we have partnered with an AMAZING realtor? I may be a little biased (since he's my husband), but he is seriously one of the best around. And in order to make this process a little bit less stressful and cost effective for you, we have created a package deal that could essentially make both of our services free. ;)
And be sure to grab your completely free First Time Home Buyers Guide! It's going to walk you through the six things you should be doing NOW in order to prepare for buying a home!
