When buying a home for the first time there can be a lot to think about. That’s why the tips and strategies you’ll find in our 8-week series will set you on the right path. It’s my own unique approach and a “behind the scenes” glimpse of what you should look out for and consider when starting your own search for a home. This article will review house hunting tips while on your journey.

So you now have a pre-approval, your real estate agents know what you’re looking for in a home/neighborhoods and now it is time to start looking for a home! You’re filled with excitement to finally bring in the new! It is exciting to know it is easy to feel this way at this moment.

But if you think it’s going to be more like an episode of HGTV’s House Hunters ( I love that show), prepare to be disappointed.

At this point, you’ve gone through what seems like the hard part … now comes the fun part … looking at homes every weekend! In todays article we will go over 4 little known house hunting tips to help your home search.

House hunting can be exciting and even fun at times, but you still need to have a strategy in place. Just like most things we do without a plan you will find yourself all over the place and lose track out what you really want. That’s why the tips below can give you an added edge. It covers 2 things you should never do, and 2 things you should do. It’s that simple.

1. DON’T take in too much at once.

House hunting isn’t like buying a car, clothes over even groceries.  For one, there are only a certain number of homes (generally about 6 to 8) that you should see during one outing. 

Why? 

Not only will seeing more than six homes completely stress you out and wear you out, but seeing too much in one day means that it’s that much harder to narrow down your criteria well enough to know even what you are looking for!  You don’t want to overdo it on any day or it all becomes muddled and too confusing.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, go back to the drawing board and focus on your criteria and budget.  Unless your agent wants to educate you on the current market, don’t waste time looking at homes in areas you’d never live in — that can add to the confusion and make this process much harder! 

2. DO get some evidence and reminders on each home. 

The next house hunting tip is tracking items you find/see in each home you look at. Even if you limit the number of homes you see in one day, you’re still going to get confused and mix things up. Even those of you with photographic memories who tend to remember everything!!

That’s why we recommend taking photos of each home with your phone and make notes on paper or an app that can help you recall what you liked and didn’t like about a particular home. 

 You don’t have to get a shot of every angle, but a good front and back picture, with a few detailed photos of the interior can help you remember features, amenities, and floor plans that will influence your decision.

Write down specific and descriptive notes about each home and its surrounding factors, like schools, shopping, metro access, nearby parks and other amenities. Do this when you’re inside the home or immediately afterward so you don’t leave something off.

Both the photos and the notes will come in handy when you’re comparing your options later that day or the next day (depending on how fast you need to put in an offer).

I also like to see what my clients to rate the house at the end of each showing and why. I usually ask these questions about an important area in the home that my clients like. For example, The kitchen was a key are for them. When we go to the home I ask them to rate it from 1-5 and it it is lower than a 3 it is probably a home we need to take out of the mix.

3. DON’T take advice from everyone in your life.

One of the most critical house hunting tips of them all! Filtering advice from others! When it comes to making one of the biggest purchases of your life, everybody in your life should NOT cast their vote or give their opinion.

You’re going to have cousins, son-in-laws, friends, and random people you meet trying to give their two sense about what you ” should be doing or looking for”. Listening to this will often get you off track and steer you from your goals.

Put your blinders on and “you do YOU.”  Limit any feedback you receive to people whose opinions you value and think will contribute a positive impact on your decision. This is for you ( and any other decision-makers) to determine. This is your journey.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to buying a home.  Your financial situation, criteria, and long- and short-term goals might be completely different than someone offering you advice. 

Say thanks but no thanks to friends and family with little home-buying experience or those who want to offer their opinion but you know will provide no real benefit to your decision-making.

Right before I bought my place in 2018 someone told me ” Now isn’t the best time. You should wait for the market to crash.” If I would’ve listened to that information I may have not had a home that for 2 years was a rental property and gained a large amount of appreciation due to everything that has happen the past few years. I would’ve been buying in a highly competitive market instead on being the only offer in on a home.

You are the one who will need to make the final decision, but it doesn’t hurt to surround yourself with a few trusted friends or family members who can offer constructive feedback.  And, please, limit your time with those who will confuse you and complicate your house hunting is one of my key house hunting tips. It will do you no good.

4. DO take a second look. 

When it comes to making one of the biggest purchases of your life, this home deserves more than just one look-see.  You’ll be amazed at what you missed or glossed over the first time around.  Especially if this is a home that you really want. Your heart my cause you to miss critical red flags because this is your ” dream home”. It could cost you more money in the long run if you don’t take your time and take a second look to review.

Depending on the current market and how fast things are moving, try to go back to a home if you’re interested in making an offer.

It’s hard to take everything in at once, so when you have a good feeling (or doubts) about a certain property, don’t hesitate to schedule a revisit to validate any feelings you may have.

Take these four house hunting tips to heart and you’ll be one step ahead of everyone else out there!  And, stay tuned for next week’s article, Answers to My Buyer’s Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)!

jdanielrealestate.com