Tips for Deciding Whether to View a Home
To View or Not To View
When you’re looking for a new home, a lot of factors go into the list of potential properties you create. Price range is the biggest factor, but things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, special amenities that the home boasts, it’s location and neighborhood – all play a factor, too. Some properties, you can easily dismiss on paper because they don’t meet your criteria. But the properties you don’t dismiss – how do you decide which ones to view? And what if you dismiss something that might turn out to be your dream home? Keep these factors in mind when you’re deciding whether or not to view a home:
Price Range is a Sticking Point
Assuming that you are looking for a reasonable price range given the area and type of home you’re considering, price should be a sticking point. You can view something slightly outside of your price range, but more than $5,000 to $10,000 out of your price range is an amount you’re not going to be able to negotiate down. Establish a reasonable price range for your area and home type, based on comparable sales – and stick to it. Buying too much home isn’t the way you want to start your home ownership.
List Deal-Breakers and Flexible Amenities
Divide your criteria between “deal-breakers” and amenities where you can be more flexible. Most people have a few “must have” home features, and the rest is “nice, but optional” – and you may be willing to overlook something missing from your list if it’s in the perfect location, has fantastic landscaping, has a great deck – you never know what you might find if you stay open to options that don’t meet your ideal criteria.
Prioritize Based on Location
Scout out the areas where you’re hunting for homes prior to any home visits to decide if you like the area, feel good about the neighborhood and are comfortable with the distance to shopping, food and other amenities. Then, when you’re ready to view homes, schedule viewings in clusters.
There may be two homes you’re dying to see on opposite sides of town; schedule a viewing for one home, and look for other homes that are on your “maybe” list nearby. You might find a “maybe” that turns out to be your dream home, and you can visit a lot more homes more efficiently with a location-based approach. Then, schedule a visit for the other home you’re “dying” to see on a different day, and schedule a cluster of “maybe” visits for nearby homes.
