House Hunting: How to Stay Sane, Have Fun, and Find Your Dream Home

So you’re ready for the exciting part: Going out and visiting homes for sale! While house hunting can be a fun and informative process, it can turn into a grind if you’re not prepared. Here are some ideas for keeping it fun and productive.

Dress Comfortably

In today’s fast-moving market, you may be rushing to visit five, six, or more houses in an afternoon. To keep yourself one step ahead, wear comfortable clothing and shoes — casual wear is perfectly suited. You’re looking for the home that impresses you not looking to impress others!

Also consider wearing shoes or sandals that easily slip on and off. Most houses you visit will request that you remove your shoes or wear shoe covers. Whichever feels more comfortable is the right choice for you, though using shoe covers can be more time-consuming as well as make you feel unsteady on some flooring.

Even better, when you’re dressed comfortably you’ll save your energy so when you find that perfect home you’ll be ready to put in an offer!

Keep Your Checklist

What are the things that are important to you? What are the dealbreakers? You and your REALTOR should have a list handy, whether on paper or on your phone. It’s easier than you think to get overwhelmed with details when visiting a large number of homes or to focus on a particularly impressive aspect of a home but to forget to look closely at things that aren’t up to snuff. A checklist will help you stay on task to find the best home for your needs.

Rate and Review (and Revise)

When you start a tour of homes, your REALTOR should provide you with a summary of the listings you’ll be visiting (if not, ask them for it!). After each house you visit, jot down your ranking of the property, from 1 to 5, or 1 to 10, whichever feels best for you. You can also jot down any important details that influence your rating.

As you’re traveling between listings, review your ratings and revise them if your feelings are changing as you compare the different. This will help you keep all the properties straight in your own mind. It will also help your REALTOR better understand your needs and find the best homes for you to visit!

Confer and Confirm

Whether it’s a refreshing lunch or dinner with your family, take a little time after the tours to talk about what you’ve seen. Is one home in particular standing out? Are you wondering about values in two different neighborhoods? Put those questions together and confer with your REALTOR as soon as you can.

If one of the homes has ticked all your boxes, then it’s time to move forward on crafting an offer. If not, then the experience will be valuable to both you and your REALTOR as you continue to fine-tune your house hunting search. Now let’s get out there and find your new home!