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Residential property is a major investment people work hard to acquire. Purchasing your own home comes with many emotions, responsibilities, and rights. In the same vein, the homeowner has regulations to adhere to. Currently, homeownership remains at 64.8%, indicating that more than half of the population owns a house. This makes it vital to know certain basic information about homeownership. That said, here are three crucial aspects of home ownership you should know about.
- The power to use your property as collateral
This can be a double-edged sword, depending on how you look at it. Indeed, the equity in your property offers homeowners the right to use their homes as collateral. Because the property is seen as an asset, the lending institution will value the property before giving the loan. On the downside, however, if you fail to pay back the loan on time, there is an increased risk of losing your property. Financial experts usually advise against using your home as collateral. However, if you have the resources to repay the loan (and on time), dispossession of your property may be on the low end.
Aside from collateral, you can make money off your property in other ways. For example, if you ever plan to move out of your property and list it on the market, you still make money aside from the actual sale. This is only possible if you intend to sell furniture and other valuable pieces on the property. In organizing estate sales, it is recommended to seek help from experts. That way, you increase your chances of making higher sales.
- Your right of control
As expected, you have every right to your home and everything else within it. The truth is, you may have control over the surrounding land as well. This is only to some extent and supported by law. For that reason, it is alright to hold meetings or organize parties within your property. However, you need to ensure your activities are not considered distractions to your neighbors.
In exercising your right of control on your property, it may be illegal to transact a home-based business from the estate. Unless you have a valid permit from the local authority, you cannot use a residential property for certain businesses. If your activities go against the laws, you may pay a fine or receive other penal measures from the state.
- Having an evacuation plan
This is a crucial measure every homeowner is expected to take. Whether you just acquired the property or not, having an evacuation plan is a mark of proactiveness. It shows your readiness to face any unavoidable eventuality as you live at the property. In case of fire or an emergency, your plan makes it easy to avoid the increased possibility of a fatality. How do you develop a strategy? First and foremost, every room of the house is required to have a safe exit. It could be a door or a window that leads to the safe outdoors.
If the property is a story building, you may want to take other measures to ensure that the exit plan is safety-proof. The overall purpose of this strategy is to increase your chances of survival should the unexpected happen. The responsibility increases dramatically if you live with family or others on the same property. According to data, a home emergency can be salvaged if the exit plan is full-proof.