Are you tired of living in an apartment? Have you finally set aside enough money to be able to purchase your first home? Buying a new home is wonderful but it's also important to try not to get too excited about the whole process. Too much excitement can lead to accidentally overlooking one or more crucial steps in the home buying process. In order to make sure that these steps are not forgotten, it's a good idea to make a list of things that you want or that need to be done, in order to avoid any oversights. Some of the most important things that should be on your list are the following:

Full inspection: Although not always necessary to be able to purchase a home, it's a good idea to pay for a full inspection before you sign the closing papers. While not always deliberate, sometimes single family homes have listing errors. For instance, an owner might say that the roof on his or her home is sound because they haven't noticed any leaks but an inspection might show that the roof actually has issues that need to be corrected. Without a full inspection, you won't know for sure whether the roof actually is sound or if it needs to be repaired before you buy it.

Neighborhood check: If at all possible, drive through the neighborhood at different times during the week before actually agreeing to buy any single family homes. The neighborhood could be relatively quiet and peaceful during the day but it's possible that one of the neighbors plays loud music every weekend. But if you didn't check the neighboorhood during the weekend, you wouldn't know whether or not this is the case until after you moved in. By driving through the neighborhood multiple times, you'll get a better idea as to what your new neighbors will be like before you make a purchase.

Investigate schools: Even if you don't have children and aren't planning to have children in the future, it's still a good idea to find out the reputation of the schools in the area. If you ever decide to sell or to rent out this house, it's easier to do so with single family homes that are in a neighborhood with good schools instead of below-average ones. Although you might ultimately decide to buy a home even if it's in a neighborhood with a poorly-performing school, it's still a good idea to be aware before you make your final decision.