The process of buying a home can seem convoluted, complicated, and confusing. I’m sure you’re thinking, can we skip to the good part?
While buying a home does entail quite a few steps, there are ways to relieve the stress and focus on the positive outcome from this next step in your life. After all, think about all the fun that comes along with buying a home — from decorating to make it your own to building new memories like movie nights and family gatherings. So make the path along the way an enjoyable one, too.
While breathing exercises, journaling and a full night’s rest can help (the stress-relief classics), try these five steps to sustainable relief during the process of buying a home.
Timing — Keep it Flexible
As much as we wish the process of buying a home is straight and narrow, just like most things in life, there’s always the risk of twists and turns. Delays may occur when you reach the time for inspections, appraisals, funding, etc., so having a patient mindset can ease concerns when timing expectations aren’t met to a T. And remember, your home-buying team (real estate agent) is there to streamline every chapter of this journey. Communicate your fixed dates and talk through where there’s some potential for wiggle room.
“Perfect” — Prepare for Adjustments
Daydreaming about a perfect home can be an exciting pastime as you’re preparing to start the process of buying a home. However, there are many factors to consider when sifting through inventory. Your realistic price range, the current market, your location of choice, the list goes on and on. So instead of creating a thick binder of must-haves when there’s possibility to revise to nice-to-haves, we recommend good communication with your real estate agent on precise non-negotiables. Then, they can speed the selection process by weeding through the homes they know you won’t be interested in, while nailing the ones you’ll likely consider.
Beyond that, can your wants be an opportunity for future fun home projects? Can you consider a starter home to begin building equity, instead of a forever home for generations to come? What about opening up to various neighborhoods, perhaps some more affordable to widen the inventory options? Your definition of perfect, well, doesn’t really need to be perfect — just needs to feel like home.
Organization — Before, During and After
From contracts to tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements and disclosures, gathering all documents throughout the process of buying a home is absolutely vital. In order to prepare properly and qualify for a loan, financial documentation is needed. Additionally, there will be plenty of signatures throughout — inspection reports, offers, etc.
Instead of keeping some documents in one location, others in another file, how about considering a consolidated hub for all paperwork, digital and physical, to ensure time isn’t lost tracking things down? This will help avoid any panic searches we all know and dread and can expedite the process when certain documentation is requested.
Communication — The Key to Agent Relationships
Good and continuous communication between your loan officer, real estate agent and you is the most important strategy to maintain low stress during the process of buying a home. From initial questions to any detail that feels blurry, your real estate agent is there for a reason. Their expertise is what will put your mind at ease when a contract line feels confusing, additional costs are misunderstood or even just the basic, “Where do I start?” when it comes to the search for a property you actually like. By finding a real estate agent you can trust and not holding back on your communications, clarity is ensured every step of the way.
Buying a home can be a big step in one’s life. However, by implementing these four tips, you can find joy throughout the process and look to the excitement of keys in hand and new memories up ahead. Reach out here and take that first stress-free step.
