Finding a new home can be a challenging task, but there are ways to make it easier.
If you’ve taken the necessary steps to start your home search, chances are you feel more than ready to hit the ground running. Given the lower inventory around Nashville the past year or so, it may seem like you need to jump on the very first “For Sale” sign you see. While acting quickly right now is extremely important, there are a few other things to keep in mind. Here’s a quick run-down of Dos and Don’ts as you start house hunting.
Do
- Know your price range – If you’re pre-approved then you have a solid grasp on the range of homes you should be looking at rather than wasting time on ones you can’t afford.
- Know your priorities – Take the time to prioritize what you want in a home. Determine which things are non-negotiable and which ones you can let go.
- Use an agent –It’s to the buyer’s advantage to work with a REALTOR and you should use one even before house hunting. An experienced REALTOR will have far more options, including homes that may not have even hit the market yet.
- Allow plenty of time for each showing – Be sure to give your self enough time with each home that you can fully explore it and spend enough time moving through it to really get an idea of what stands out to you about it. You may want to open cabinets and drawers, look under rugs, look at the ceilings, etc.
- Envision yourself living in the space – The home may be filled with charming features and look like a perfect fit the way it’s currently staged. Be sure that you can envision YOUR life and lifestyle in that space. You may need to see the home at different times of the day too. If you need a lot of light and find the living room only provides one North facing window, that space may look completely changed from morning to afternoon.
Don’t
- Forget your shoes – It may seem silly, but if you plan to look at multiple showings in a day, use slip on shoes as you will be taking them off and on over and over again.
- Forget to take notes – You may think you will remember every detail you loved or every question you had about a home, but chances are if you don’t write it down you will overlook something.
- Forget your REALTOR – As mentioned before, your REALTOR is a huge asset. Be sure to ask any questions, vocalize concerns, etc with your agent. Remember, they aren’t the home owner so you won’t offend them.
- Forget about the owner – On the flip side, you may not want to start bringing up all the negative aspects of the home until you are outside of it. Though it’s best for sellers to be off the property during showings, that doesn’t always happen. Since home selling and buying are emotional processes, there’s no need for the seller to have an unnecessary negative impression of buyers based on criticism of the home.
- Forget to be open minded – Don’t forget that Nashville is a seller’s market today. That means keeping an open mind and seeing various options you hadn’t previously considered will increase your chances of finding a home.
Ready to start your Nashville house hunt? Don’t wait! Call The DeSelms Team today to work with one of our award winning agents!
