Do you find it difficult to decide which home you want to live in? Once you get involved in the house hunting mode, you are sure to run into this situation. Torn between two (or more) houses? It is normal to harbor fears about making the wrong decision when you’re looking at homes to buy. Many first-time home buyers wonder how they will know when they have found the right house. This decision should be taken seriously.
These 5 tips can help you stay organized and focused on important things during your house hunt.
THE HOUSE FITS YOUR BASIC NEEDS
The dynamics might not hit every bullet point on your list, but it meets the basic requirements. The house has the number of rooms and space you need. Beyond the basics (beds and baths) consider including notes on landscaping, the condition of the roof, exterior, natural light in each room, storage space and cost per square foot. If you walk into the master bedroom and immediately can envision your bed against a particular wall, this might be your house. If you find yourself thinking that the living room window is a perfect spot to put your holiday Christmas tree, you’re already hooked.
THE HOUSE MEETS YOUR EXTERNAL CRITERIA
Even if the house is perfect, it may not be right for you if it doesn’t meet your external criteria. Having children often determines which neighborhood you choose. Close to schools and parks. What if you have no children and enjoy night life and shopping? This would be something else to consider. What about the streets and the landscaping? How long will it take to get to work?
YOU CAN AFFORD IT
Millennials and first time buyers are particularly daunted by home affordability. This is the key. Sure, I could look at a $500,000 house and see all of the above, but I can’t afford the house, so it’s not right for me. What is the alternative? Look for a home near transportation, or at least within a short drive to work and other important aspects in your life. This will allow comfortability, while keeping you just outside the priciest areas.
CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT
It is important to get a good look at the house that could be your new home, so make a point of focusing on things outside your usual line of vision. Check out the ceilings, walls, floors, trim, windows, roof and under the sinks. Check out the property at different times throughout the day. Come back for a second showing, make it during a different time from when you saw it the first time. In the evening, notice not only the changes in light, but the atmosphere in the neighborhood. Are people out sitting on porches? Are kids playing outside? Is it noisy? You are bound to learn and discover different things about the house each time.
ASK TO TAKE PHOTOS (OR EVEN A VIDEO)
It’s amazing how quickly memory fades. Make sure you have a backup by creating a floor plan and taking photos or a short video tour if possible. This will really give you a full picture of what the house looks like. Be sure to ask the Realtor for permission before taking any photos or videos.
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I’d be interested to learn more about your tip of checking in and checking out. I love the idea to check all the ceilings, walls, and other things inside the house as well as the property at different times. My husband and I are looking to purchase a house and we will use these tips when we look for our home when we move to Wisconsin!
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It makes sense that you should consider your children so that you can better determine which neighborhood you should buy a house in. Now that my wife and I are planning on having a child this summer, we would like to make sure that we buy a house that is close to a school so that our child will be able to walk home safely. We’ll see if we can find a home in a safe neighborhood that is near a school.
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Thanks for the tip to look at things like ceilings and walls that are normally outside of our line of vision. My husband and I want to start looking at homes for sale in golf communities because we think it would provide us with a convenient way to stay active as we age. I’m glad I read your article and learned what guidelines to use as we start inspecting the different homes on the market!
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Thanks for mentioning how having children influences which neighborhood you should buy a home in. My wife and I are interested in finding a home that is close to our daughter’s school so that she can ride her bike home when my wife and I are at work. Maybe we should consider finding a home that is located in a safe area.
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Thanks for explaining that we need to consider external criteria, like proximity to parks, before deciding that a house is perfect for us. My husband and I have two daughters and want to start looking at larger homes for sale to keep our living arrangements from getting too crowded as they get older. Keeping your tips in mind should keep me from getting overwhelmed when we start looking at real estate, so thanks for taking the time to share them!
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You make an excellent point when you mention how having kids typically influence where your home needs to be located. Now that my wife and I found out that we will be having twins next month, we would like to find a house that is close to a school so that our children can safely walk home safely each day when they are old enough. We’ll consider our needs as we search for a house.
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Thank you for mentioning how you can find a house that you will be able to afford by looking for one that will allow a short commute to where you work. My brother needs to find a house that is near the clothing store that he plans on opening next month, but he needs to make sure that he can easily ride his bike the building since he cannot afford a car in addition to the house he plans on getting. He should find a single-family home that will allow him to get to work quickly.
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I think you make a great point when you mention how visiting a home at different times can help you see how it looks during different lighting conditions. My brother is thinking about buying a manufactured home that he will be able to afford with his monthly income alone, but he needs to make sure that the home gets plenty of sunlight since he’d like to set up a garden this summer. Hopefully, he can find a house that will suit his needs.
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Thank you for explaining how buying a house that is relatively close to where you work can help you find an affordable home that you will be comfortable in. My wife and I are interested in buying a house that will allow us to ride our bikes to work, but we have a limited budget since we’re planning on having our first child next year. We’ll find a property that is within our price range.
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I like your suggestion to take photos or short videos of the houses we tour since our memories will fade quickly. My sister and her husband want to find a realtor so they can start looking at houses with more room for their three growing kids. I’ll have to share this info to help the house-hunting process go as smoothly as it can for them!
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I think you make a good point when you mention how having kids can significantly influence where you should buy a house since you will need to consider what kinds of schools are nearby. My wife and I need to find a single-family home that will allow our son to walk home from school when I have to stay late at work to help train employees at the beginning of each week. Maybe I should find a home that is in a safe area so that my son can easily walk home without any problems.
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I think it’s great that you mentioned how viewing a property at multiple different times can help you better identify the behavior of people in the neighborhood. My wife and I are interested in buying a house that is close to where we go to work, but we want to make sure that we find a property that is in a safe area since our children tend to enjoy playing football outside after school. Maybe we should start looking for some homes that are in safe and family-friendly areas.
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You made an interesting point when you explained that it is a good idea to look at a property at different times during the day when you are looking to buy it. In addition to that, I would think that it would be a good idea to have a home inspected by a professional before purchasing it. An inspector would be able to identify structural problems that you might be able to notice yourself.