When you have a friend or family member buying a home, it sounds like a very easy thing to do and a nice step to take in life. However, when you enter the home search process yourself, you will quickly realize just how emotionally complex it can be. After all, you aren’t just envisioning a place to go at the end of the day. When you’re buying a home, you’re simultaneously imagining the memories you will make, and evaluating how the layout will work for your lifestyle.
Our team here at Corken + Company knows that house hunting is a big undertaking. But when you approach it with a positive mindset, you can keep your calm while finding the perfect place! Here are some strategies to help.
Try Opening Your Mind and Expanding Your Search:
When you’re looking for a home, it’s understandable if there are some things you’re not willing to compromise on. Maybe it’s always been your dream to have a walk-in closet. Maybe you are looking for a fixer-upper in order to build equity. Start by being honest with yourself about non-negotiable factors. This can ultimately help you to avoid wasting your energy during the search.
On the other hand, you should also think about ways in which you could expand your home search:
- Would you be willing to look at homes in neighboring communities?
- Could you compromise less square footage if it means more outdoor living space?
- Do you need a finished basement or is that something you could do in the future?
Revisiting some items that were initially on your “nice to have” list could give you a much larger selection of homes to choose from.
Avoid Financial Guesswork:
Buying a home involves both your heart and your head—and it can be devastating to learn you found your dream home but it’s outside of your budget. Although competitive sales prices and mortgage rates can feel like moving targets, you can quickly get a feel for the price by using online quote tools.
When you have an understanding of how different factors can affect a home’s insurance price, you can narrow your search field. For example, a home on a low-lying side of a neighborhood may be more expensive to insure than one that is similarly priced just a few streets over.
Work with Trusted Experts:
You will most likely only buy or sell a home a few times throughout your life. So, naturally, there are some questions that you may not even realize to ask. That’s where it pays off to put in a little work ahead of time to find yourself a trusted team of experts who can help guide you through the process. Not only can this allow you to find the right house, but it also can help you get it for the right price.
As always, our agents at Corken + Company are here to help you with any questions you have now, or any that may come up in the process! You’re in good hands with us during your home search.
