In the hunt for the perfect house, it's easy to get swept away by a home's most charming details (a gracious front porch) and play down the important stuff you'll be kicking yourself for later (the price is over budget).
And if you are touring multiple open houses each weekend, keeping everything straight can get complicated.
Set your priorities and streamline the house-hunting process early on, and you can breathe easier knowing you have a handle on things.
It's probably the most important purchase you will ever make, so take a few deep breaths and make a plan before diving in.
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1. Streamline your budget by picking your top five must-haves.
Before taking a look at any houses, sit down and write out everything you want in a home, with input from all members of the household.
Then choose your top five, or even top three, must-haves.
Once you start looking, all sorts of charming features are bound to sway you; keeping your priorities list close at hand can help you stay on track.
2. Bring a comparison chart or checklist to each home you visit.
After you have seen a dozen or more houses, it becomes very difficult to keep track of the features in each one.
Make things a little easier by creating your own comparison chart or checklist to bring along to each home, and make notes on it during or immediately after each tour.
Beyond the basics (beds and baths) consider including notes on landscaping, the condition of the roof and exterior, natural light in each room, storage space and cost per square foot.
Consider this chart a personal tool — something you can look back on to help guide your decision making, not a substitute for a good home inspection.
3. Walk through once and let yourself soak it all in.
When you tour a home for the first time, the excitement can make it difficult to focus on ... well, anything at all. So I say, just go with it.
Have fun, wander around and mentally note your first impressions of the space. Once the butterflies have died down, it's time to get to work.
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