The last thing in the world you would ever want is to spend a bunch of time searching for a home, finding that perfect place and then not being approved for your mortgage. There are also many common mistakes homebuyers make that could make the process much more painful than it has to be.

We’re writing this article because we understand how stressful buying a home can be. To make things easier for you, we’ll go over the 9 things you shouldn’t do when buying a home.

1) Don’t spend more than you can afford.

Ever heard the expression “House poor“? Many people who want to buy a home overestimate what they can afford and end up with very little money left over. Before you buy a home, make sure you have a good idea of how much it will cost you each year to keep it up.

Don’t forget that you have a mortgage, property taxes, utilities, insurance, and repairs to pay for. All of this before you even think about making upgrades. Think about all the costs and give yourself a little bit of room.

2) Don’t let your feelings get the best of you.

Buying a home is one of the most important things you will ever do. It’s natural to get excited about a home and fall in love with it. But try not to lose your cool. When you fall in love with a house, it can make it hard to see its flaws or lead to disappointment. This can happen if the inspection finds problems you didn’t know about or if someone else makes an offer before you do.

Don’t give up if you can’t find a place to live. Home searching can be a lengthy process. It will be worth it when you find the winner.

3) Don’t tell the sellers what you want to do with the house.

Even though you can’t wait to move in and make the house your own, it’s best to keep this to yourself. People who want to buy a house sometimes meet the owners and get to know them. This is fine, but keep in mind that the current owner has feelings about the place.

It’s best not to make them think you’re going to come in and change everything. If you talk to the owners, make sure to keep the conversation light.

4) Don’t buy anything too big.

When applying for a mortgage, everything you’ve done with your money matters. Before you apply, you shouldn’t buy anything big like a car or piece of furniture. This is because banks want to see that you’ve been responsible with your money in the past.

5) Don’t take out or put in a lot of money.

In addition to your financial history, cash withdrawals and deposits also affect your chances of getting a mortgage. Large amounts of money coming in or going out of your accounts is a sign that you are not stable. Don’t take out or put in large amounts of cash at random.

6) Don’t try to borrow more money.

How much of a mortgage you can get is based on how much money you put down. How much money do you have at your disposal? When you apply for more credit, you end up with more debt. The amount you can borrow for a mortgage will be less if you have more debt.

7) Don’t co-sign a loan.

Even if you don’t really own a loan, it will still count toward your total debt. When you co-sign a loan, it can affect not only how much you borrow, but also how likely you are to get the loan. Don’t co-sign a loan until you’ve bought your own home.

8) Don’t finance a car or furniture.

Since financing is just another loan, it is also debt. If you want to get a mortgage, don’t finance a car or piece of furniture.