On deciding to buy your first home, you’re likely to be excited and full of enthusiasm ( 热情 ). However, you should take care to plan well and understand the process to avoid any unexpected problems. Here are some things you’ll need to consider to help you get started. First, think about what you need and what you want from your new home. Perhaps you need to be close to your place of work because you don’t drive. It may be that you want a large garden to satisfy your gardening hobby. Be sure to understand the differences between needs and wants as it’s likely you’ll need to give up some of your wants. Then, use the internet, your local library and your friends and family to find out all you can about the buying process. You’ll need to make decisions down the line and it will help if you understand the buying process. At this stage, you will normally need to contact a mortgage ( 按揭 ) advisor to see how much money you can borrow. Of course, there are lots of costs related to buying a home which may not be immediately clear to first time buyers.