So, you have tied the knot, and now you are surrounded by the bliss of being newly married. What is next?

Well, for starters most couples would start scouring for a family home once the honeymoon is over or once the last vestiges of fresh marital bliss fade away. But how do you ensure that you and your spouse are ready to take it to the next level and buy a home? Today, home-buying remains as one of the most significant challenges for unmarried couples who have just opted to shack up, but even tying the knot would not make this process any easier.

Remember, a lot of factors come into play, and before you decide on a home, you need to consider every integral aspect involved in home buying lest you have homebuyer’s remorse after that. So, before you start going head over heels for that pretty little bungalow or fantasizing about growing your family in Cloverleaf, here are some of the things you ought to consider:

1. What is your credit score?

Prior to your married life, you and your spouse probably led separate lives and of course, different bank accounts. Most of what you earn probably went to where your next travel destination was, date nights or movie tickets. However, now that you are married, it might be a good idea to broach a subject that is far less romantic but hinged on your finances: your credit scores.

Ideally, you should have had this conversation already as it determines your ability to qualify for a loan or at least have an attractive interest rate. Knowing your credit score is crucial and is a pivotal step before you meet with a lender.

2. Where would you like to live in five years?

Your plans for the future will drastically affect the type of home that is right for you. Incidentally, so would your loan. If you and your spouse intend to stay put for at least the foreseeable future, it will make sense to have a 30-year mortgage with a fixed interest rate. However, if you have plans on moving within a few years, consider your options. With all these considered, make sure that you factor these into your search for a home.

3. Will one of you stay at home to raise the kids?

After the both of you get hitched, you might stall the discussion of having kids. After all, you just got married, why the rush? However, kids play a crucial factor in determining what type of home you should be looking for. In fact, you can consider it as the cornerstone for establishing how much you can actually afford. If you plan to have kids in the nearby future, not only would this play an integral factor in the size of your home, but it would also affect where your finances will go.

Apart from that, you and your spouse should decide whether one of you would be staying home to raise your kids or not as this would mean leaving work. Remember that would likely slash your income in half, so look into this to anticipate how much of a mortgage you should get.

4. What will happen to the home should the marriage fail?

While it is not exactly an exciting prospect to think about (especially as you are newly married), you would still need to consider all of the possible outcomes for your marriage. This is not to say that you would separate (although, that can be a possibility) but you need to think of how you would divide your assets if you either get hit with death or even divorce.

There is a myriad of types of ownership to choose from when you purchase property with your spouse, and although this is not exactly a good dinner table topic, it needs to be discussed. After all, you will never know what could happen—it is still best to be prepared.

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What Does It Really Mean?

In order to get into a more natural lifestyle, first you have to define it. A natural lifestyle entails reducing toxic load, reducing waste, being environmentally conscious, replacing consumption with production and finding alternative, non-toxic ways to do, well, everything.

Reducing Toxic Load

We live in a world that’s riddled with toxic chemicals, even within our very own homes. Almost every product that’s available out there contains toxic stuff, so how to approach this issue? Well, first of all, you need to start cooking from scratch – the very point of premade meals is using every means possible in order to reduce the production price; this may not take away the fantastic taste of premade foods, but definitely entails using cheaper, environmentally damaging substances to turn profit. Going basic with cooking is the best way to avoid this – start from scratch!

Reducing Waste

There’s a reason why some of the major Japanese restaurant chains have decided to swap disposable chopsticks for reusable ones! This is the most basic factor in a green mentality – throw-away items both dwindle our resources and increase our planet’s waste. Replacing disposable items with reusable ones should become the basic way of thinking within your home – think napkins, reusable diapers and perhaps even feminine care products. Additionally, instead of using plastic or paper bags provided in supermarkets, opt for reusable bags that fold up into pouches of their own.

Don’t Buy, Produce!

While this might sound a bit far-fetched, rest assured that you can easily achieve it! Starting a garden can turn out more than a hobby for you. This is both a cheaper and a healthier solution than buying fruits and veggies from the supermarket. Not only can you grow your own food, but also make your own cleaning supplies! Browse the web for natural cleaning supplies recipes in order to reduce both your spending and toxic waste.

Healthy Eating Habits

You can’t hope for a natural home lifestyle if your diet includes bad sugars and junk food – you are what you eat and in order to be natural, you have to eat natural! Focus on consuming raw foods. When it comes to meat, always go with cooking – deep fried foods are not only fattening, but also extremely unhealthy. Focus on fruits, veggies and lean meats and prepare the meals on your own. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t go wild with spices, because this defeats the purpose of going natural altogether. Clean body means a clear mind and a clear mind knows how important being natural is!

Clean Your Air up

Keeping your indoor air fresh, clean and healthy is one of the main issues when it comes to providing a natural home atmosphere (literally, in this case). You can start by growing as many plants as you can, but consider using air purifiers to make sure the air in your home is really clean; experts behind the Air purifier ratings agree that these affordable devices should be a mandatory part of your household, seeing as how they not only provide fresher air, but also help those afflicted by asthma and other conditions that affect human airways.

Sustainable Furniture

You may not be introduced to these, but sustainable, eco-friendly pieces of furniture are somewhat common. Affordable, comfortable and beautiful to look at, these furniture products are made with little or no toxic chemicals. Look for “E-1” and “ITTO” classifications in your furniture, which guarantee that the production of an item has been under oversight of the strictest of standards on the planet. Trees are among Earth’s most valuable resources, so be mindful when browsing for furniture.

Environmental consciousness starts at your very own home. In order to lead a more natural indoor lifestyle, changes have to be made – from replacing everything disposable for reusable and reducing waste, to making sure that you keep your air clean and produce as much as you can, instead of buying! Sustainability is key to saving our planet!

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