Are you home hunting this season? Covid-19 has certainly added a new level of stress to buying a new home. Many open houses have been put on hold and if you do book a showing you are asked to not touch anything as you go through houses that you are viewing. Shopping for a new home can be intimidating in the best of times! With so many things to do and think about, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some good tips for making the home hunting process a lot easier and much less stressful.
1. Get your mortgage arranged before you start home hunting.
You don’t want to find the ideal home on the market, only to face problems arranging a suitable mortgage. You might end up losing the opportunity. So, make mortgage arrangements in advance by getting “pre-approved”. With that pre-approval, you can shop for a new home with confidence.
2. Clearly define the kind of home you want, and the neighbourhood you want to live in.
You can’t view every home that’s on the market. If you try, you’ll burn yourself out! So, write down a clear description of the kind of home you want. How many bedrooms? Big kitchen? Pool? Don’t forget to include the neighbourhood. Upscale? Close to downtown? Lots of trees and parks? Urban and close to shopping and theatres? With this information, we can quickly create a shortlist of properties that meet your criteria.
3. Take good notes.
When you are home hunting, after viewing a few places you may start to forget the details. Was it the first property that had the large elm tree in the backyard or was that the fourth property you saw? If you take good notes, you’ll be better able to make decisions later on about which homes to shortlist.
4. Take care of yourself, and your family.
It is a good idea to keep some hand sanitizer close by and don’t forget to wash your hands as soon as you get home. Also, do your best not to touch anything in the houses you are seeing. If you must, I advise keeping a disinfectant wipe with you so that you don’t have to physically touch any surfaces.
Remember to pace yourself. Don’t try to view too many homes in one evening or on one Saturday afternoon. That can easily make things overwhelming! Want more ideas for finding the perfect home? Just let me know.