5 Tips For Finding The Perfect Home

Ready to find your perfect home? Before looking, get a head start by using these tips to complete some important legwork early on.

Buying a home can be both exciting and overwhelming. According to the National Association of Realtors®, the typical homebuyer spent a median of 10 weeks searching for a home in 2024.

What should you consider when looking for a home, and how can you be efficient in your search? Keep reading for our top five recommendations.

Top 5 Recommendations

1. What’s Your ‘Dream Home’?

Knowing what you want your home to look like before starting your search can narrow down your list and save you time. With so many things to consider, a good starting point is determining what type and style of home you prefer. Do you want a condo, townhouse, single-level home, or multi-level home? Is a modern or ranch-style home appealing to you?

2. Start Your Search Online  

Begin your search online to get a sense of how location, the age of the home, size, and different variables affect costs. You’ll be able to see how long a home has been on the market, any price fluctuations, and the property tax history on a resale home.

However, don’t be quick to discard options in this initial stage. If there’s something you don’t like in a home, make note of it and use these criteria when examining other homes.

3. Know Your Budget  

Buying a house is both an investment and commitment so it’s important to set a budget. Make sure to get a pre-approval before going out to look at houses – this will give you an idea of your price range. You’ll also want to calculate the funds you have available for a down payment and closing costs. Getting your finances in order will make the buying process smoother and contribute to understanding how much home you can afford.

4. Establish Must Haves & Deal-Breakers  

Create a list of all the things you must have in your new home. Don’t get stuck on the small stuff, you can always change out appliances, paint, or lay down new flooring. Instead, think about how many bedrooms and bathrooms you’d like to have? New build or resale home? Square footage? Lot size? Location?

Knowing where you’re willing to compromise can help narrow your search. For example, are you willing to drive a bit further to work in order to be in a certain school district? While you may be excited about a home, be realistic about how living there will affect other areas of your life.

Also, don’t forget to think about future needs in addition to your present ones. Will you need space for your family to grow? How about a yard for the dog you’ve always wanted?

5. Work With A Real Estate Agent  

Online is a great place to start your search, but nothing can replace the local expertise of an experienced real estate agent. An active and licensed agent can help you find listings, negotiate on your behalf, refer services as needed, submit offers, and walk you through the entire process.

When enlisting the help of a real estate agent, you’ll first agree to a written agreement that discloses the amount or rate of compensation before you start touring homes. Commissions can be negotiated at the beginning of the relationship and the agreed compensation will be an exact amount, $X or X%, and not open ended.

Summary  

No matter what type of home you’re looking for, the above recommendations are sure to help make the process of finding your perfect home easier.