Posts Tagged ‘Deciding what home to buy’

This may be obvious to some, but I have seen many Seattle home buyers make the mistake of only visiting a listing once before making an offer on it.  It made sense in years gone by when a good listing would disappear in 48 hours, that buyers were jumping on a home they liked without doing all the due diligence.  Those days are gone.  With longer times on market, Seattle home buyers have enough time to do some extra investigating to make sure a listing will meet their needs.

It is important to visit a home more then once.  I personally have taken buyers back to a home up to four or five times if they want.  Here are some things to check out on return trips:

1. Bring family and friends – Sometimes we get wrapped up in the emotion and don’t think all that clearly.  Friends and family can offer a cooler head and some very practical advice that you might overlook.

2. Visit the home at different times of day – A home that seems ideal during the day may have a lot of road noise at a different time of day.   Daylight is also a big issue.  I would recommend visiting the home once in the daylight and once at night.  Often a home feels very different based on the light it receives.

3. Do the commute from the listing – Get up early one day during the week and make the full commute that you would need to from the potential new home.  You may find out that your commute makes the home less desirable.  This suggestion is a big one here in Seattle.

4. Measure to see if your furniture will fit – You can also do this while the inspection is taking place.   If you have a favorite couch or dinning room table, don’t just eyeball it.  Make sure your furniture will fit in the new home where you want it.

There is no rush.  Take your time, gather all the information you need and make an intelligent decision.  There are no guarantees, but the more you are willing to do the necessary investigation, the happier you are likely to be in your new home.

I’d love to help you find the home of your dreams.  Give me a call if you need help.

Rob Graham, Accredited Buyer’s Representative

Windermere Real Estate

206-321-6349

robgraham@windermere.com

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