Buying a first home is a massive stepping stone in life and one that can certainly define your future. Along with this comes immense pressure to ensure things turn out exactly the way they should. Excitement, anxiety and pride are three common feelings associated with this moment in life.

People either buy a home to live in it or to rent it out as an investment property. Whatever your reason may be, there are several things to consider before locking in the deal. You need to establish what sort of home you need, where you want to buy and what you can afford.

Deciding where to buy is often the trickiest part of the process. Things like proximity to local amenities and schools, the sorts of leisure activities and work you do and the length of time you are likely to spend in your home.

Whitianga, which is located on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, is one of the most desirable areas to live in New Zealand. Once you’ve done your research on the area, you’ll want to talk to a Whitianga real estate agent about the possibility of buying your first home there.

Situated approximately 2.5 hour’s drive from Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, Whitanga is the main service centre for the Mercury Bay region and is experiencing rapid growth in order to cater for both tourists and permanent home owners. Whitianga and the surrounding Coromandel region are blessed with the most beautiful beaches and offshore islands in the country, and perhaps even the world.

There are around 4,000 permanent residents living in Whitianga and this number more than quadruples during the summer holiday period. If you do an image search online for Whitianga, you’ll quickly realise why this part of the country is so popular and why almost every Whitianga real estate agent is getting daily enquiries from people wishing to buy a home there.

It’s very important that you don’t just choose any real estate agent when buying your first home. I strongly suggest that you research the local area and identify someone you trust who can give you a recommendation. Using the services of an experienced real estate agent can mean several thousand dollars more in your back pocket. The industry is filled with agents with little experience, who lack the knowledge, short cuts and tips required to make for a guru real estate agent.

Once you’ve chose the Whitianga real estate agent you wish to deal with, be sure not to rush into a decision. Buying your first home will be your biggest transaction to date. You want to feel 100% right about the home you buy and have no regrets once the deal is sealed.