One of the biggest cardinal rules that I have when working with my buyer-clients is this: don’t fall for love at first sight. There is an absolute possibility that the first home you look at will be the one that you end up buying, and that’s okay. My issue with getting too attached to the first property is that by doing so you could end up putting yourself at a large disadvantage. You could find a fantastic property for less, or discover that there are huge issues with the home when it’s too late to back out of the transaction. In order to protect yourself from this common problem, it’s important to look around and see what else is out there before submitting an offer.

Many exclusive buyers agents will disagree with me, but my years of experience in Columbus real estate have shown that many times, “love at first sight” causes more irritation than excitement during the searching process. If you remember to keep your eyes open and think rationally, however, you can avoid potential problems that may arise. Here are some of the common factors that most home buyers forget to think about, but SHOULD be thinking about, during their search:

•    Location. If the “home of your dreams” is in the area of your nightmares, then you’re not going to really enjoy living there, no matter how amazing the property is.
•    Your lifestyle. We all want to select amazing amenities and home features that we want, but we don’t always pay attention to what it is we need. Taking your lifestyle and future plans into consideration is important when you start your home search.
•    Asking the right questions. Most people ask about a home’s amenities or how old certain parts of the property are, but they fail to ask things like what recent repairs were made, whether or not pests are a problem and how much yearly taxes cost. Think about it: aren’t these questions important? That’s what needs to be being asked.
•    Scrutinizing the property. This needs to be done during each walk-through. If you don’t search every nook and cranny of the home, you could wind up facing a huge problem down the line. A thorough search, as annoying as it may seem to the seller, is necessary to a smooth transaction.

As always, if you ever have questions about buying a home in the Columbus area, feel free to ask! I’d be happy to help in any way that I can. I hope to hear from you soon!

Andrew Show
Buyer’s Resource Realty Services
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