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How to Buy a Home for Your Personal and Professional Success
By Tina Martin
You have a killer idea for a home business and the funds to get things started, but you have realized that your current living space just won’t work for your business. Maybe it’s too small or your neighborhood isn’t zoned for commercial use. Whatever the issue, you need to find a new space that can accommodate your family and your business. Read these tips from NextHome to learn more.
Locate a Home You Can Customize
If you’re lucky or very patient, you may be able to find a ready-to-move-in home that is perfect for your family and your business needs. However, working with a skilled realtor from NextHome can help you find a home that can be affordably modified to match exactly what you need out of your living and working space.
Consider Buying “As Is”
Most of the time, when a seller puts a home on the market, the seller is responsible for making any repairs that would cause the home to fail an inspection. When a seller sells “as is,” the buyer is responsible for making repairs. The upside for the buyer is the potential significant savings on the purchase price. If you are already planning to make renovations to accommodate your home business, buying “as-is” is one way to boost your renovation budget by spending less on the purchase price.
Just be aware of the potential shortcomings involved with such a transaction, as well as how to go about completing the purchase in a manner that protects your interests. Not all problems are easy to spot. An “as-is” home might have pest infestations, hidden leaks, structural issues and more. You should always have a home inspection done before a purchase, but it’s particularly important to schedule a professional inspection for an “as-is” property and carefully review the seller’s disclosures.
Budget for Your Home Office Renovation
Fixr reports the average cost of a home office remodeling project is $66 per square foot, while a full addition will run around $300 per square foot. If you’re trying to set up an office on a budget, start by making a list of the things you have to have to conduct your business. Focus on those items and then consider any nice-to-haves if you have any wiggle room left in your budget.
As you weigh your considerations, think about things like special upgrades for your functionality, like ventilation, wiring, soundproofing, and so forth. Also think about whether you’ll meet clients at your home and if they will need a waiting area, restroom or parking. Storage might also be a concern, and whether or not delivery vehicles will come and go.
Protect Your Investment
You are going to pour a lot of time, money and energy into purchasing and renovating a space to accommodate your family and your business. Make sure you safeguard your investment by setting up your business as an LLC.
If your business becomes unable to pay its debts, as a sole proprietor, creditors can come after your personal assets. However, as an LLC, there are limited circumstances where creditors can pursue your personal assets. Additionally, LLCs come with some tax benefits and are easier to set up and more flexible than other business structures. The laws that govern LLCs vary by state, so consider using the cheapest formation service to ensure you get all of the paperwork right, without incurring the high fees an attorney might charge.
Additionally, check with your insurance professional to make sure you have the types and amounts of insurance you need to cover your home business and your renovation project. Standard homeowners insurance may not cover the unique risks associated with operating a home business or remodeling your home.
If your current living situation cannot accommodate your home business needs, the best solution may be to find a new home that can be renovated to custom fit your needs while staying within your budget. Connect with a skilled real estate professional from NextHome who can help you track down the right property at the right price. Give us a call today at (970) 507-8655.
A special Thank You to Tina Martin, author of “Ideaspired” for writing this week’s blog post!