How You Know When to Make an Offer

House hunting can be overwhelming. As realtors, we genuinely understand that you are preparing to make a substantial financial and emotional investment. As a future homeowner, you take great care to find a place that is “just right” for you as well as your family. You can even get a little addicted to touring houses, always convinced the perfect home is just about to hit the market. Sometimes the inability to pull the trigger on the house can cause serious shopper’s remorse. You could miss out on a home that, in retrospect, was ideal.

So how do you know a home is “the one”?

Here are some useful ways to check your buying temperature and know when it’s time to make an offer

The home fundamentally meets your needs. There’s plenty of compromise in home hunting, so when you find one that has the basics covered, take note.
You would consider renovating for those luxurious little extras. Maybe the home is missing that pool you’ve always wanted or is missing a detached workshop/garage space. This is when you need to recognize the home’s potential when you find yourself thinking you would be up to tackling a project to make it perfect.
You’re in love with the kitchen. Studies show we spend most of our waking hours connected to or using the kitchen. If you’re in love with the kitchen but think the master bedroom is a little small, consider where you would be spending most of your time. Careful to not pass on the home when it could be the one.
The bathroom feels comfortable to you. Many times, other people’s bathrooms will give you the creeps. If you feel good about the bathroom, it’s a healthy sign.
You start to see your possessions in the house. If you’re thinking, “ah yes, the flatscreen could go on that wall” and “wow, my bed would fit perfectly in this suite,” then you’re starting to imagine the house as your own.
You picture where you are going to place your Christmas tree. Many professionals claim that when you can visualize where your tree will be placed, you may be in the ‘right’ home.
You become possessive about the house and find yourself defending every flaw you see. Maybe your agent points out a flaw and says, “There is a stain in the kitchen sink,” and you become defensive to them for saying something so mean about this house. If you even see the flaws and decide that defects do not matter, you’re falling in love.
The idea of someone else buying the home gives you a pit in your stomach. If you’re “sleeping on the decision” and the idea that the home is no longer an option makes you anxious, pay attention. It could be offer time.

As realtors, we understand the financial commitment as well as the physical commitment of a move. It isn’t a decision that you should take lightly, as well as a decision that should be made without a realtor to help you with the tough questions. When you are ready to buy, give us a call, we would love to put our experience to work for you.