What are the best house hunting strategies?

by Dian Hymer

November 02, 1995

You should look at as many houses as you can that come close to satisfying your housing wants and needs. It's helpful to make a list of the features you're looking for.

Start the search by having your agent show you four or five houses that approximate the kind of house you are looking for. Looking at more than five houses at a time is likely to leave you more confused than enlightened. Be candid with your agent about what you like and dislike in the houses you see. The more you communicate with your agent, the easier it will be to find a house.

Buying a house always involves compromises. It's impossible to know how you'll compromise until you know what amenities you can expect to find in houses located in the area(s) where you want to live. Looking at property will allow you to fine tune your housing need and want list. It's also a good way to learn market value. The more houses you see, the more attuned you will become with local pricing.

Make notes about houses as you see them. Pick up descriptive flyers and brochures on each house you see, and ask your agent to provide you with more detailed written information about any house you have a serious interest in. Taking photos may be helpful.

FIRST-TIME TIP: When you get a call from your agent telling you there's a "hot" new listing to see, make arrangements to see it as soon as you can.

You will no doubt want to take a second, or third, look at a house you are really interested in. Your agent can arrange this for you; you shouldn't call the sellers directly for access. But you should drive by the house, or walk by it, to get a better feel for the neighborhood. Return several times, at least once during rush hour, to see if the street is busy or congested. Drive a few blocks away from the house to see if the neighborhood holds up to your expectations. A map is a handy house-hunting aid. Your agent should be able to provide you with one.

Some buyers depend on their agents one hundred percent to find a home, others like to aid in the search. Some buyers like their agents to give them a list of Sunday open houses. Some browse the classified homes for sale ads on a regular basis. If you are working with an agent, make sure he or she follows up on any house you see advertised, or open, that interests you. This will avoid unpleasant situations where two agents both think they are working for one buyer.

The computer literate will delight in having access to homes for sale on their personal computers. While many of these on-line home shopping services are still in their infancy, and of limited usefulness, this is the wave of the future. In the future, you may be able to preview homes on your computer and save yourself hours of looking at homes that will never work for you. But, it's doubtful that computerized home shopping will eliminate the need to visit a house before you buy it. Light and ambiance are important qualities to most buyers. These are qualities which are difficult, if not impossible, to capture on video. Careful inspection of a property's condition must be done in person.

THE CLOSING: Leave the kids at home, if you can, when you look at houses. You will concentrate better and the experience will be far more enjoyable.