Efficient House Hunting

Feb 10
08:17

2011

Balsley

Balsley

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House hunting is fun – at least at first. It’s exciting to start looking at potential future homes with your Summit NJ real estate agent. Some house hunters lose their steam after a few weekends spent touring homes and navigating neighborhoods.

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House hunting is fun – at least at first.  It’s exciting to start looking at potential future homes with your Summit NJ real estate agent.  Some house hunters lose their steam after a few weekends spent touring homes and navigating neighborhoods.  Executing an efficient search is essential to prevent draining your energy and succumbing to frustration during your home buying process.Go online first.The internet is simply the best tool for implanting a planned home search.  You can see multiple Summit NJ listings,Efficient House Hunting Articles maps of the area, school districts and nearly any other bit of information you need with some time spent online.  Use this tool to help plan your route and choose the homes you’d like to tour.  Be careful of spending too much time searching the online listings, though.  You can end up in information overload quite quickly.Maps and GPSThese are handy tools, one old school and one high-tech.  Using an actual map to make home you’d like to drive by or tour will give you a better sense of their location.  You can see the distance from your work or school much easier on a good old-fashioned map.  It’s like seeing the pieces of a puzzle and how each fits into the whole.  You can get a better perspective of the town as a whole rather than just concentrating in one area.The GPS will be your best friend when actually doing your drive-bys and going to appointments with your Summit NJ realtor.  Turn by turn directions can save you a lot of time in unfamiliar territory.  A basic GPS unit can be picked up for under $100 at almost any store selling electronics.  Most smart phones and many vehicles come with GPS already included.  You can cut a great deal of frustration out of your search with this hand device.Get the NumbersWhether you use an iPad or a pen and paper, make sure you have a list of the homes you want to see in the car.  You can use a notes app on your phone, have a spread sheet or carry a binder of print-outs depending on your personal preferences.  However you do it, make sure you aren’t caught without an important address.   You can also make notes and record your impressions of each Summit NJ real estate property you see.  Bring your GadgetsA digital camera or video camera can be a big help in remembering which house had what features.  After a long day of house hunting, it’s easy to get them confused.  I know of one client who actually bought what she later called “the wrong house” after a whirlwind weekend of house hunting.  She was hunting long distance and didn’t have any reference photos once she got home.  The home she purchased and the one she really loved were only a block apart so it was easy for her to lose her bearings.Ask the ExpertYour agent is your greatest asset when you are house hunting.  Be sure to tell her when you are tired, hungry, grouchy or overwhelmed.  She can help make your house hunt a pleasant experience.