Finding the perfect home for you and your whole family is one of the most rewarding parts of life. Since you work hard and save your money, you deserve to get whatever kind of house you and your family will love the most. This will require you to do a little bit of homework, and you will also have to find the help of real estate agents, financial institutions, and others. 

Here are four tips to get you started:

1. Start with knowing your finances

There is a simple rule that you need to know when it comes to finding a house. Generally, your mortgage shouldn't cost more than 28 percent of your gross take-home pay. It also shouldn't exceed 36 percent of what you pay on all of your bills, including your mortgage. 

If you start with your financial perspective, it will help you to know what kind of house is affordable to you. Keep in mind that financing a home will include property taxes and utilities that cost more than you would pay by renting. 

Outside of your income, be sure that you have a credit score that will get you agreeable terms for a mortgage. 

2. Think about buying or building

After you know how much money you can pay for a house, you should think about whether you would like to purchase a home that is pre-built or have it built yourself. When you buy a pre-built home, it will usually cost less and you know what you are getting from it. When you build a home, you get to customize every last detail. 

With many new development communities, you can add lots of input and get a brand new home that you like. 

3. Look for the most beautiful and valuable neighborhood

Your purchase is about more than just your building -- you are also buying into a neighborhood and everything that comes with that. Look up some property values for the surrounding houses and inspect the crime rates. Think about where you want to live from a quality-of-life standpoint, especially if you are raising a family. 

4. Get help from some mortgage professionals

Hiring mortgage lenders will be important since they can find you the terms that are affordable for you. This means that you should also be thinking about the long-term effects of the interest and how your deposit lowers what you owe. Finding real estate brokers and financing professionals will help you get the best home for you. 

These four tips will help you when you decide to start searching for new homes.