Eight Tips to Ease the Strain While Hunting for a New Home
Very few will say it's easy to look for a new home. Here are eight ways to ease the stress of your home-hunting:
- Bring snacks. Preferably water and some easy-to-pack protein, like cheese sticks or a yogurt to nosh on while you’re in the car. Pack your chilled items in a small cooler with an ice pack. How about a small container of hummus and crackers? Some non-drippy fruit like apples? Anything that will maintain your energy and momentum. Hint: pack some hand wipes, too.
- Walk through each home twice. For the first time, let yourself soak it in. If you’re feeling excited, that’s great! Go with it, have fun, and wander and poke around. Take a mental note of certain aspects like closet space, height of ceilings, kitchen counters. Then, take a second tour around, but this time use a notebook and pen and maybe even a handy checklist. Jot down your thoughts.
- Photography. If you’re more of a visual person, ask the realtor ahead of time to clear picture-taking with each owner, with the promise to use best judgment.
- If you would prefer to take a separate car than the realtor, by all means do. Let’s face it, finding a new home offers all kinds of stresses both big and little. If you can have some downtime in between visits to recoup or chat privately, it’s good to take advantage of a quiet moment.
- If you can be choosy, don’t see more than five to six places in one outing. After that, they’ll start to blend together.
- Don’t dress up for the realtor. Wear your most comfortable clothes and your go-to comfy shoes. You’ll be doing a lot of walking! (For Fitbit users, it’ll be interesting to see if you break 10,000!)
- Be prepared to make an offer. Are you ready to make a move? Are all your financial ducks lined up? Then it doesn’t make sense to wait and see. If the timing is right and if you know in your heart that you can afford, and love, this new home you’ve just toured, it’s okay to make a decision.
- Take a deep breath. Buying a home is a huge event. At the end of the touring day, know that you’ll be extra tired. Order take-out, pop in a favorite movie that always made you laugh, and put up your feet. You’ve earned it!