The Best Advice Recent Homebuyers Want You to Know, Inspired by Their Own Experiences
Anyone who’s recently bought a house is now an expert, whether they want to be or not. They’ve just come up a steep learning curve about local markets, financing negotiations, renovations, and so much more. Ask them about sewers! No really, ask them: If this is your first time buying, or just your first time in today’s market, it can help to learn first-hand from folks who’ve just been through it.
That’s why we created the State of Home Buying, presented in partnership with Homes.com. It’s a snapshot of what it’s like out there right now, from people who know: recent buyers, prospective buyers, and real estate experts. Homes.com understands that a well-informed buyer is a happy buyer. Homes.com goes above and beyond to provide home-shoppers the most in-depth information in a beautifully streamlined design, and always connects you to the listing agent who can answer any questions you may have.
For another real-time look at the market, we asked readers about the best advice they got during the process and the things they wished they’d have known. Here are three themes that came up again and again.
Location, Location, Location
It’s a cliche for a reason. Multiple readers advised getting extra familiar with the area you’re looking in to make sure it’s a good fit. “Drive the area on different days and times,” one said. “You can change anything but where your home is located,” another said. Of course, the inverse is true, too: “Buy for location and lot size,” another said. “The rest you can always change.” Others regretted not doing more due diligence, including exploring neighborhoods beyond their top pick. “I wish I knew how long my commute would actually be,” one reader said. “On paper it looks fine, but with traffic it takes me over an hour.”
The upshot: Learn as much as you can about your search area. Homes.com has extensive neighborhood guides that can help. With trends, photos, and expert intel on everything from local cafes to popular playgrounds, they’ll help you understand what life in your search area is actually like.
About Those Gut Checks…
How do you know when a house is the house for you? Our respondents fell into one of two camps. The romantics said what we’ve all heard before: You’ll know it when you see it. The practical folks, predictably, felt more measured: Fall in like, not love, they said. The good news? They’re both correct! You very well might know you’re home the second that you open the door. But if you don’t, rest assured that your gut isn’t broken! As one reader put it: “Lead with the heart, but shop with the head.”
Surveyed readers also talked about how helpful it was to have people in their lives reminding them that a house is, ultimately, just a house. One said that the best piece of advice they received was about keeping the search in perspective: “Buy the right house for me right now.” That might be especially relevant for first-time buyers. “It’s your first home, not your forever home,” one said. “If it checks 80 percent of your boxes, then consider putting in an offer.”
The Best Common Sense Advice
Our readers also had strong feelings about the practical matters that make the home-buying process a little smoother. Spoiler alert: Most of them involved inspections. “Do NOT waive the home inspection,” one reader said, echoing a popular response. “We knew exactly what we were dealing with. You should always know what you are dealing with.”
Another reader recommended sticking around during the inspection, if only to spend extra time getting a feel for the house. Recent buyers also recommended relevant additional inspections, especially sewage and septic. And when it’s time to talk financing, respondents emphasized the importance of getting quotes from multiple lenders: You might be surprised how much they can vary.