Buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful things someone can do in their lifetime. So much goes into it- the timing, the planning, etc. Everything needs to be planned perfectly and if one person does not hold up their end the entire thing could fall through. On the plus side, there is a few ways to not have to do this when looking for a house. For those of you that are about to, currently, or thinking of going on a house hunting journey these four tips should really help.
Tip 1: Decide What Your Requirements Are
Buying a house is one of the biggest and most important purchases a person will make in their lifetime. That being said, you want to lov
e it, and if you’re moving with a partner you want them to love it too! Even when you’re even kind of thinking about it- nothing is set in stone, sit down with whomever you are moving with and think about what you want. How many bathrooms? Do you want a pool? How many bedrooms? Will you have a lot of people coming to visit? What size? What area of town? There’s a lot of decisions that are going to be made during this conversation. Write down and list the absolute minimum requirements for your future dream home. This will help the buyer’s agent find a home that you love too. It is important to get a house that you’re happy about, your partner is happy about, and that is functional for your lifestyle.
Tip 2: Get Pre Approved for a Mortgage
There are a lot of positives on getting pr eapproved for a mortgage. Number one on the list: it helps you to know your budget. One of the worst things is finding a house, falling in love and figuring out it’s just not in your price range. Getting pre approved can help get rid of that. It helps you know exactly how much you can borrow, and know your mortgage payment. Secondly, it also helps in the negotiating process. The seller will actually figure that since you are pre approved your offer is good and a sure thing. Because you’re pre approved, the seller will take your offer over other peoples because it adds a level of certainty.
Tip 3: Don’t Rush the Process
The second you decide you want to buy a house, start getting ready to buy a house. Give yourself enough time to do everything you want to do. Nobody wants to buy a house they kind of like, only to find the one you love days later. Give it some time to find exactly what you want. Start exploring your options early on, as this can help you minimize stress. The feeling of urgency is one of the number one reasons this process can be so stressful. Avoid that by giving yourself ample time to figure out what is perfect for you and your family.
Tip 4: Plan your viewings
Instead of having 15 different viewings all on different days, see if it’s possible to block off hours for multiple viewings in one day. Trying for weekdays is also good as less people go for viewings during the week. Your agent is also going to be able to give you more of their attention.
Tip 5: Get an Agent
Getting an agent is one of the most important parts of the process. Agents know the process like the back of their hand. They can help you navigate the market and decide what works and what doesn’t. They are there to carry most of the workload during the buying process. They are there to make it as easy as possible for you. An agent can be one of the best tools you can have. They are there to advise you on what to do, how much to offer, and answer any of your other questions. Finding an agent you can trust, rely on, and call with any new information is important. Lastly, they have access to newer listings before other people do- which means they can find your dream house faster than you can sometimes.
Hopefully using these five tips will help to ease your buying process and make it less stressful for you! Remember that at the end of it will be exactly what you wanted- the house you need for this point in your life. No matter what happens, house hunting is quite the adventure. We wish you all the luck with it. We do like being a part of the adventure however. Red Door of WNY is opening doors all over WNY! Give us a call or stop in and we can help you open yours!
