Step 5 to Buying a Home: Start House Hunting

This is the fun part, but it goes best when you go in with a plan. Knowing what you need, where you want to be, and how to judge a home will keep you focused and help you find the right one faster.

Hi, I’m Josie Sommers, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty. This is part five of my ten-part series on the steps to buying a home. You’ve checked your credit, set your budget, gotten pre-approved, and chosen your agent. Now it’s time to start looking at homes.

Start With the Right Search Criteria

Because you followed the earlier steps, you already know your price point and your budget. Use that to set up your online search the right way.

Set your price range to match your budget, not just your pre-approval.
Put your true must-haves in as search requirements. That way you only see homes that are actually a fit.
Let the filters do the sifting so you spend your time on homes worth seeing.

Touring Online vs. In Person

Photos can make or break whether you want to see a home. But they don’t always tell the whole story, and that works both ways.

Sometimes photos make a home look better than it really is, and they can hide flaws you won’t notice until you’re standing in the room.
Sometimes photos make a home look worse than it really is.

Just recently, I went to see a home where the photos showed bright painted walls everywhere and messy carpet. When we got there, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the photos made it look.

So here’s my rule of thumb: if a home meets your requirements and the updates it needs are within your comfort zone, go see it in person.

What to Look at During a Showing

A showing is your first look, not your inspection. A home inspector will dig much deeper later. But while you’re there, look past the decor and check the condition of anything you can see that could affect the home:

The roof and gutters
The windows
Water stains on the ceilings
The basement
The furnace and AC unit

If something looks like it could be a concern on an inspection, make a note of it and ask your agent.

Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves

This is one of the most important things to get clear before you start touring.

Must-haves are your deal-breakers. If a home doesn’t have them, it’s not the one.
Nice-to-haves are a bonus. Great if you get them, but not a reason to walk away.

Every buyer’s list is different, because it depends on your needs and what you want in a home. Beyond the very basics, there’s no one-size-fits-all list.

Cosmetic Issues vs. Big-Ticket Problems

Here’s something that helps a lot when you’re comparing homes: almost anything on a home can be fixed, as long as the inspection says it’s a fixable problem. But some fixes are much bigger than others.

Cosmetic issues: paint, carpet, and light fixtures. These can still take real time and money, but they aren’t hazards or deal-breakers. You can live in the home while you work on them.
Hard-to-change things: the overall layout and the size of the rooms.
Big-ticket problems: a crack in the foundation, the roof, or a leak in the bathroom. These can be far more costly and are much harder to fix.

Weigh the big things much more heavily than the cosmetic things you don’t love. Ugly carpet can go. A foundation problem is a whole different conversation.

Choosing Your Preferred Locations

The right home also has to be in the right spot for your life. Make sure everything that matters to you outside your home is within a distance you’re comfortable with.

For example, a friend of mine who’s house hunting wants to be within 20 minutes of work, 30 minutes of her parents, and 15 minutes of her in-laws. That’s her list. Yours will be different.

Write down the places you go most, like work, family, and the things you love to do.
Decide how far is too far for each one.
Check each home against your list before you fall for it.

Keeping Track of Every Home

After a few showings, homes can start to blur together. That’s where your agent comes in.

When I’m house hunting with buyers, here’s what I do:

I take notes and ask what you do and don’t like about every home we see.
I use those notes on every new search, so we can flag right away anything that was an issue for you before.
I search online and do some digging for homes I think you’ll like based on what you’ve shown me.
I follow up with each listing agent to let them know whether we’re moving forward or continuing the search.
I make sure you have all the answers you need about a home before we decide to look again or move on.

It also helps to jot down a few quick notes of your own after each showing, and snap a few photos if the seller allows it, so the details stay fresh.

Your Step 5 Checklist

Set your online search to match your budget and must-haves.
Go see homes that fit your requirements, even if the photos aren’t perfect.
At showings, look at the roof, gutters, windows, ceilings, basement, furnace, and AC.
Know your must-haves vs. your nice-to-haves.
Weigh big-ticket problems more heavily than cosmetic ones.
Check each home’s distance to the places that matter most to you.
Keep notes on every home so they don’t blur together.

Ready to Start House Hunting?

If you’re ready to start looking at homes, or just want help setting up your search, I’d love to help. There’s no pressure and no question too basic. Reach out anytime.

Next week in the series: Step 6 of buying a home.

Catch Up on the Series

Step 1: Check Your Credit Score
Step 2: Figure Out Your Budget
Step 3: Get Pre-Approved
Step 4: Choose the Right Agent

Call or Text Josie

Helping first-time buyers in:

Lakeville
Prior Lake
Shakopee

Josie Sommers, Coldwell Banker Realty
Call or text: 952-454-8504
josie.sommers@cbrealty.com