“Why can’t I find a house to buy?” Many of us have asked ourselves this question as frustration boils over. You visit houses for sale that have just hit the market, but none of them seem to fit what you want in a home.
If you can’t find a house to buy, you’ll want to explore a unique approach. Sure, you need a certain number of bedrooms and a backyard for the dog, but there’s a surprising tactic for finding the perfect home to buy.
When you begin your search for a home to buy, you determine that you need three bedrooms, a main floor master bedroom, two bathrooms, a double-car garage, and a house close to your favorite school district. You share this with your real estate agent, and she starts searching the MLS for homes to meet your needs.
As you view the list of homes from your agent, you immediately cross off 3 or 4. You don’t feel like these houses are appealing, even though they meet your criteria. My advice is to tour the homes regardless of your first impression. Let’s look at why being open-minded when looking for a house to buy will be in your favor.
When my husband and I were looking for a house to buy, we knew we wanted at least three bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. I wanted a ranch-style house because my mother preached about the benefit of one-level living as you age (no stairs make it easy on the knees!). My husband wanted a big garage. We were off to a good start.
When a friend told us about a house for sale in their neighborhood, we decided to take a look. The home checked off our list of needs, but that wasn’t why we fell in love with it. It just felt right despite a few rooms that would eventually need to be remodeled and more bedrooms than we needed. We loved the amount of light that poured into the living spaces, the fenced backyard, and the finished basement was a bonus. We made an offer the same day and signed a contract. We’ve lived in the house for over 20 years!
You feel the memories welling up inside of you as you walk through the house and realize this is the one to buy.
Consider asking yourself the following before you start looking at homes for sale:
- What three things do you enjoy about your current home or rental?
- What one thing do you least like about living in your existing home?
- What activities do you enjoy doing at home?
- If you entertain, what kind of activities do you enjoy most?
The answers to these questions will provide more insight into your lifestyle and how you want to feel in a home. Your agent might ask about your lifestyle, but if not, share the answers to the questions listed above. An experienced real estate agent will factor in your lifestyle and dig deeper to truly understand what you need in a home. Start the conversation, and your agent will help you find a home that meets your needs and feels just right.
If you need help finding a home to buy and a local real estate agent, reach out to us at info@reazo.com.
