Few more days and we will celebrate our first year anniversary with our new home. It was a roller coaster ride but soon after it was officially handed over to us, I could say that it went well moving forward.

We do deal with crappy carpentry from time to time and notice bits of bad work from the construction up until now but we’re happy we finally have the house and we make it as homey and beautiful as much as we can.

A few times people would ask me, “So how was your experience with Camella?” and every time, I answer “Don’t even try”.

But I’m not here to discredit them once again or tell the story of our pains with them. I’ve had 2 interviews about our horrible experience with Camella and I think that’s enough. I’ve let the Universe hear it and perhaps, I will be able to help those who are still planning on buying from Camella. In case, you missed it here’s my post about Camella.

I’m here to give you some tips when you’re looking for a house to invest into. 

Do your own tripping after an “official” tripping with a broker or seller (if direct buyer). The reason being, when you’re doing the tripping by yourself, you will be able to freely see the “other” side of the location. Most often, brokers and sellers will only show you the good side of the location and skip with the not so nice parts.

Talk to the current residents or residents around the place. From them you will  know the history of the place, the situations they encounter and you can expect truthful answers rather than sugar coated ones from brokers/sellers. Ask them of their experiences with the developer- the construction, turn over and after turn over.

Check the location’s proximity to the places that matter to you. School, church, hospital, supermarket, wet market, etc. For us, the location we chose was really perfect because it’s super near our daughters’ school. Another tip is to check on the transportation available in and out of your village/subdivision.

Check the customer service and the after sales service of the developer. Once you pay your down payment and your loan approved, the broker will most likely leave you with the developer and its team- customer representative, Engineer, etc. Make sure that you get their names and numbers so it’s easier to communicate with them. You cannot rely on your broker to speak in behalf of you AFTER THE DOWN PAYMENT.

Go to your location when it’s raining. And check if it is indeed flood-free.

Check houses that were already constructed. This way you have an idea how your own house will look like post construction.

Check for reviews on the developer. I am sure there will always be horror stories but better arm yourself with the worst case scenario so you’ll know how to react. Have I known that Camella is this bad, I would have been IN THEIR FACE every single day. (yeah right, like I have the time to do that)

Look at the community, the city/town, and the governance. Since you’ll probably transfer all of your government registrations to your new home, you would want to know if the local government is worth your taxes and vote. Will the community give back and support your children’s growth in the long run.

Think, re-think: Is it worth it? Buying a house is not like buying pants where you can always put it at the back of your closet or give it away when you realize you don’t like it after all. Buying a house will cost you money- before buying, when buying, after buying it. You have amortizations to think about, real estate tax to settle every year, furnish the house when you move in, upkeep of the house while living in it. So think hard.

I hope I have given you good tips when you’re thinking of buying a new house. If there’s something you want to add, please feel free to comment below and let’s hear it!