WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN HOUSE HUNTING

Even the most experienced hunter and gatherer probably has a hard time house hunting. Unlike other purchases, a house is a major decision: houses aren't exactly easily returnable. For this reason, house hunting is an essential step in finding a house you can truly make into a home and there are certain steps you should avoid during the hunt. To wit, make your house hunting experience easier on yourself by not engaging in the following actions:

Refusing Help: Yes, you're an independent person: you are used to making decisions on your own and quite frankly, you're good at it. Even if you are as independent as the Fourth of July, house hunting is a task where everyone can use a helping hand. Frankly put, there are people who simply know more about the housing market than you do. This doesn’t mean you should relinquish total control to your realtor, but allowing someone to help you can make your house hunting experience easier and much less time consuming.

Going Unprepared: House hunting isn't something you need to study arduously for: it's not the SATs of real estate. But, even so, you should never go out hunting without at least some knowledge of the housing market and what you can - and can not - afford. Before you start the hunt, take a few moments to go over your finances and learn what areas are most likely to have houses within your budget. Going house hunting completely blind can leave you, well, blindsided.

Taking Something You Aren't Sold On: Realtors, even your realtor whom you know, love, and trust, are salespeople: they want to make a commission. For this reason, they may sometimes try to persuade you to purchase something you aren't really that in love with. Don't make the mistake of committing to a house you aren't really sure you want. If you are 50/50, tell your realtor you need a few days to think about it and - in the meantime - continue looking around: you might find a house you just can't live without.

Being Sold on Things You Don't Really Need: So, your realtor shows you a house that they think is perfect for you: it has a huge backyard, a finished basement, and a fireplace in the master bedroom. Sure, it's pretty, but it's not really what you want: truth be told, you don't really want a huge backyard, you hate finished basements and you're pretty certain you will never use the fireplace inside the master bedroom. Even if this house is well within your budget, don't take it if it doesn't have the amenities you really want (or, conversely, if it has things you could easily do without). There is a house out there that's perfect for you: sometimes you just need to look a little bit harder or even consider building, with someone like Catskill Farmhouses, so that you can get just want you want.

Wearing Uncomfortable Clothing: You may dress to the nines in your everyday life - refusing to even go to the supermarket without your Sunday best on - but house hunting isn't exactly a black tie affair. When you're house hunting, you will spend the majority of the day on your feet. You'll walk through houses, and walk up a good deal of stairs. Doing this in something uncomfortable, high heels, for instance, can leave you drowning in discomfort. This doesn’t mean you should go house hunting in sweats and bunny slippers, but wear something casual; you don’t want to end your house hunting prematurely so that you can go home and soak your feet.