How to Stay Sane While Buying a House

April 7, 2022

How to Stay Sane While Buying a House
The housing market has been a wild ride for a few years now, and it’s still going strong. If you’re in the market to buy a house, it can be an especially stressful time while you work to find the right house and compete with other buyers. The process can take quite a toll on your mental health, so it’s important to take some steps to minimize the stress as much as possible. Read on for our tips on how to keep your house hunt as smooth and peaceful as possible.

Make a List


Sometimes the perfect house comes along that checks all the boxes. It’s got all the features you want, in the perfect neighborhood, and it’s in your price range. More often than not, though, it’s hard to find a home that is exactly like the dream property in your mind. In a competitive housing market, it’s especially important to go into the home buying process knowing what things are most important to you, and what you are willing to compromise on.

So before you start looking for your new home, spend some time making a list of the top features you’re looking for. You can make two lists if you want: one for your dream property, and one with just your non-negotiables. When you think about where you want to live, what is most important to you? For many, this includes location, number of bedrooms, and type/style of home. Do you know you want a newer build, or are you open to an older home that may need some updates? Think about what you’re looking for in a home, and be sure to share your list with your Realtor.

Keep an Open Mind


Once you know what’s most important in the home you’re looking for, keep an open mind on everything else. It’s much easier to be pickier with your home search when the market isn’t as competitive. Of course, if you have the time to wait it out, you can be more selective of the homes you look at. But if you need to find a house to buy quickly, be sure to keep an open mind on properties you may not have thought of otherwise as contenders. You may even find as you look at different houses that what you thought you couldn’t budge on, you’re willing to work with after all.

This is a good area to trust your Realtor on. They are experts in the industry and in the area you’re looking to buy in, so try to stay open to the properties that they think would be a good fit for you. If you know right away that a certain property is not for you, that’s OK to tell your Realtor. But if it’s one you’re just not sure about, don’t make any final decisions until you get to see the home for yourself. You may just surprise yourself with the home you ultimately decide to buy.

Work With the Right Realtor

 
Having the right Realtor by your side is the most important thing to help you on your home buying journey. Your Realtor can weed through listings and select the perfect properties to show you, saving you time and energy from looking at houses that wouldn’t be a good fit. Once you’ve decided on a house to buy, they’ll look at other nearby properties that have sold and help you come up with the perfect amount to offer the seller. Your Realtor is there to help you through the whole process, answering any questions that come up and reassuring you when the search gets tough.

So how do you find the right Realtor for you? There are so many amazing ones out there, and it’s important to find somebody whose personality works well with yours. To start, ask friends and family members who they can recommend. You can also do an online search to find Realtors in your area. Once you’ve got a few you’re interested in working with, set up a time to talk and see if you “click”. For more tips on finding the right Realtor for you, read How to Find a Realtor You Can Trust. 

Set Time Boundaries


Even when working with a great Realtor, you’ll probably want to do some house hunting on your own as well. It can be fun to browse the listing sites, looking at dream properties and seeing what new homes pop up. But it’s easy to let the house hunt get all consuming, and before you know it, you’re feverishly checking for new listings all throughout the day.

It’s important to keep up with new listings, especially in a hot market, but it’s also important to make sure you aren’t stressing yourself out trying to find the perfect property before it slips away. Set boundaries for your time on listing sites and apps. You can pick certain times of day that you’ll check for new listings; a few minutes in the morning and again at lunchtime, for example. You can also decide on times of day that you won’t spend time checking listings; like first thing in the morning, or when you’re getting ready for bed. If you find yourself spending more time than you’d like when you do decide to check the apps, set a timer and then stop looking when the timer goes off. Trust your Realtor to be sorting through new listings that come available, and if you do see one before they do, send it over for them to take a look and schedule a showing if possible.

Remember to Celebrate

 
The home buying process can be tough, especially when you’re dealing with tight deadlines and high-pressure bidding wars. Be sure to stop and celebrate the wins along the way. Did you finally find a house you’re excited about after looking at 15 duds? Celebrate! Did your offer get accepted? Soak in the excitement! And of course, once you finally have the keys in your hand, take some time to celebrate before the moving process starts. You don’t have to throw a big party every step of the way, but it’s important to acknowledge the good moments. This will give your brain a break from the stress involved with buying a home, and the little rewards will remind you that it’s all been worth it.

You Can Keep Your Peace While Buying a House


There’s no denying it – buying a house is stressful. But it doesn’t have to take over your life, and there are parts of the process that are enjoyable. By knowing what’s most important in your home search, keeping an open mind, working with the right Realtor, setting boundaries around your time, and remembering to celebrate along the way, you can make your next home purchase as smooth and peaceful as possible.

Are you ready to buy a home in the greater Sacramento area? Our team here at Quantum Real Estate is ready to serve you! With over 28 years of industry experience, we know how complex the home buying process can be, and we’re here to help every step of the way. Click here to contact us. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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