Buying a home is a stressful process, whether you’re moving into your first home or you’re a long time participant in the real estate market. When you’re dealing with appointments, viewings, forms, inspections and more, it can be very easy to become overwhelmed by the mass amount of information that has to be processed.

Ultimately, there are things to know when buying a home that can ensure that you don’t come up on the short end of the stick when the deal is closed. Here’s a look at 5 things you need to know when you’re buying a home.

How Experienced Is Your Agent?
Ideally, you are going to be represented by a trained and licensed real estate agent during the transaction. Trying to do things on your own can leave you on the losing end when it comes time to divide closing costs and decide what side is going to pay for what steps of the process.

While there are certainly good, new agents out there, you should find out exactly how “new” your agent is. Undoubtedly, there are new agents who will work hard and know their trade, but finding an agent who has a long and verifiable history of helping buyers can relieve a lot of the stress that you’re going to face during this process.

Don’t be afraid to ask the agent how experienced he or she is, verify their answer and find the agent who can best represent you in the deal.

What If the Inspection Shows Big Problems?
“Latent defects” is the term for major issues in a home that can significantly reduce the value of a given property. Something like a broken doorknob isn’t a latent defect, but a deteriorating foundation is. Your realtor will have ideally been through multiple home inspections in the past, and will probably have experienced some that went well and some that didn’t.

In the event that the inspection on your potential property reveals a long list of problems, you need to know what to do. You may be able to negotiate a lower buying price to cover the cost of repairs or you may want to walk away from the deal completely. Either way, your agent will know what needs to be done if the worst-case scenario becomes reality. Have a plan in place that works for you and your agent.

How Old Are the Components of the Home?
The Department of Energy indicates that a typical HVAC system lasts between 10 and 15 years if it is serviced regularly and kept in good working order. Roofs, water heaters, and other major home components also wear out and become damaged over time.

Before you fall in love with any property, you need to know the age of these core pieces of the property to decide how to best negotiate going forward, and to make a sound decision about pursuing the home or walking away. If you’re going to be forced to spend thousands of dollars within the next year to repair and replace parts of the home, you need to make an offer that allows you to do so.

What If the Home Appraises Low?
The loan you’re getting for the home is probably contingent on a professional appraisal report. Appraisers are trained and licensed just like your real estate agent to know how to best provide a report on the value of the home. If the appraisal comes back lower than the asking price of the home, you can find yourself in a sticky situation.

Discuss your options with your agent and have a plan in place. You may be able to cover the difference in cash, negotiate a lower price, or walk away from the deal completely. Again, the situation will be less stressful if you have a plan for every possible hiccup along the way.

What Do I Need for Closing Day?
Plenty of people have shown up for the closing of their new property without the necessary items on hand to finish the deal. You’ve probably been through months of negotiations, inspections, and appraisals and now you can see the finish line. It’s incredibly disheartening to get to the closing table and have to reschedule because you don’t have something you need with you.

There are different requirements at closing depending on the state that you are buying a property in, so discuss this with your agent. Get a list together and ensure that everything is ready to go when you sign the papers and get your keys.

There’s no way to make a real estate transaction stress-free, but recognizing the things to know when buying a home can put you in a position to avoid any unwanted surprises.