How many homes should I view before purchasing one?
There is no one correct answer to this question. I could keep it simple and say just enough to help you make a decision. That might sound a little inappropriate but it is the truest answer. Of course when is enough… enough!
That comes down to how clear you are on what you are looking for. When working with buyers I encourage them to list all the things they would like in a property and then to categorise them into
- Must haves
- Highly desirable
- Would like but not a ‘deal breaker’
Doing this exercise is really useful in that it saves you time and helps you to keep your expectations in line with the market offering. Some buyers – particularly first time buyers – will need to look at a number of properties before they can even contemplate this list. If, however, this is your 2nd or 3rd home, you are no doubt starting to get a good idea of what’s in your essential list.
The other part to this answer is that the meaning of ‘looking at homes’ has changed a lot in recent years. When I started in real estate, the only way to see a property was to make an appointment with an agent at a property, and after that hopefully the agent could get a good idea of your desired property and find others to view. We then moved into Open Houses as a more efficient model and in more recent times that is being overtaken by ‘on-line viewing’ and ‘virtual inspections’. Most buyers will still want to walk through a property physically to confirm that what they have seen on line is true, but the whole process has changed.
address – Brighton, Qld 4017
postal – PO Box 608, Sandgate QLD 4017
phone – 0438 515 003
email – rose@rosekelly.com.au
