You’re looking for your next home, but you just can’t seem to find anything that meets your needs. Could you be the problem?
You could be sabotaging your house hunt and missing out on homes that would be a good fit for you and your family. Here are four signs that you need to step back and reevaluate your picky-ness when it comes to home buying.
You have a long list of must-haves.
It makes sense to have a list of basic criteria that are essential in your home choice. A large yard, spacious owners suite, or even an island kitchen; however, there has to be a limit when it comes to your basic criteria.
The website Houzz recommends writing out everything you want in your new home, soliciting input from other family members, and then narrowing that list down to five or less must-haves. As you look, be flexible with even that limited list. Maybe that large yard doesn’t matter so much if there’s a dog park across the street.
As this article on Realtor.com points out, buying a house can be a lot like looking for a partner. If you’re searching for “the one,” that perfect person to be with, you’re probably being unrealistic. Same with a house.
Making comparison charts.
Searching for a new home can be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you’re visiting multiple houses every time you head out. Taking notes on what you see makes perfect sense; making comparison charts and complicated rating systems to rank those homes may indicate that you’re being a little too picky.
In order to make those charts or rate the houses you see, you’ll have to put each home under a microscope and look for information beyond your basic criteria. Inadvertently, you may begin eliminating homes that meet your needs simply because they don’t look good on paper.
Instead, walk through a home and get a feel for it before you even pull out a piece of paper (or cell phone) for notes. When you do, limit yourself to your general impressions and how the home meets your basic criteria.
You are fixating on cosmetic flaws.
Bad wallpaper can be truly horrifying, but it shouldn’t be the reason you pass on an otherwise perfect house. The green carpet or 1970s-era stove top? Awful, but all are replaceable. Getting hung up on cosmetic flaws is another indicator that you might be too picky.
At the other end of the spectrum, though, if you want to do a major renovation on every home that you see, you might need to take a step back as well. There is no “perfect” home. After all, even people who build their dream home find things they wish they had done differently.
Focus on what you can’t change: the neighborhood, floor plan, and style. Assume you’ll make some changes (like repainting and minor home improvement projects), and let go of the notion of trying to find or create a home that looks like it belongs on the cover of a home and garden magazine.
You’re searching for “the one.”
No house can possibly meet all your needs in every situation. If you are trying to find your “forever” home, you may be missing out on the home that is right for you today.
The key to not being a picky home buyer is to be flexible, accept that you are not going to find the perfect house. To quote the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find you get what you need.”
