4 Little Known House Hunting Tips

4 Little Known House Hunting Tips

An 8-Week Series

Best Kept Secrets for Buying a Home Series

Buying a home, no matter if it is for the first time or not can be confusing. That’s why the tips and strategies you’ll find in this 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.

Most buyers begin their home search online, constantly looking through sites like HAR, Zillow & Redfin.  Did you know that HAR.com averages about 12 million views a WEEK!  That’s a lot of house hunting.

Then the very exciting time of actually touring homes comes….Now we are to the good stuff!

House hunting can be exciting and even fun at times, but you still need to have a strategy in place. Here are a few tips to give you an added edge. It covers 2 things you should never do, and 2 things you should do. It’s that simple.

• DON’T take in too much at once.

House hunting is waaaay different than shopping for anything else in life.  For one, there are only a certain number of homes (generally no more than 6) 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! 

• DO get some evidence and reminders on each home. 

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!!

You can take some 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. 

 Your agent can also print you information on each property that includes room dimensions, features and pictures. 

Write down specific and descriptive notes about each home and its surrounding factors, like schools, shopping, highway 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).

• Be CAREFUL not to take ALL the advice ALL the people in your life.

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.  Of course, surround yourself with a trusted Realtor and a few friends / family members who can offer constructive feedback.  And, please, limit your time with those who will confuse you and complicate your house hunting.

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.

• 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.  You’ll be amazed at what you missed or glossed over the first time around. 

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 little-known 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)!