Home buyers often have a lot of questions and one of the ones we hear a lot as we drive around with them is, “How many houses should I look at before making an offer?” We’ve seen buyers begin to get nervous – thinking that they’re looking at too many, being too picky, or they simply get afraid that they’re not doing it “right.” So what is too many? What is too few? How many houses make the magic number that somehow allows you to find the one? First, take a deep breath. Now exhale. Take a moment to focus on the goal – we’re going to find you a house and you’re going to buy it. Everything is going to be alright. Now, let’s talk about buying a house, shall we?
How Many Houses Does the Average Person Look At?
According to research by the National Association of REALTORS®, the average homebuyer views 10 homes before making an offer and the search process takes 10 weeks. We can hear some of you saying, “Only 10 homes? That’s crazy! How can you find the best home out of only 10 houses?” Don’t worry – finding a home isn’t about fitting into some secret formula, it’s about finding the right home that fits your needs. We’ve shown one home and wrote up a contract and we’ve shown countless homes and are still looking for the perfect home. No two buyers are the same. It’s all about building a plan that works for you and figuring out your needs and what matters to you most in a home. Sometimes you’ll find that you even surprise yourself and completely change direction midway through the process because what you thought you wanted in a home, isn’t actually what you figure out you need.
Interestingly, the number of homes and weeks searched cuts in half to 5 homes and 5 weeks for buyers who did not use the internet in their search.
The trick to finding a home is not about a numbers game and fitting into anyone’s formula. You need an agent that will work with you to define the criteria you’re looking for, to understand your wants versus your needs, that understands the motivations that drive your decision to buy, and know the market inside and out. There are a lot of homes out there and narrowing down your choices to homes that truly matter to you will help you from spending countless hours looking at homes that just don’t interest you. If you find yourself feeling like you’re just spinning your wheels, stop and sit down with your agent and talk some more about what it is that truly matters to you. Sometimes it’s all about taking a step back and looking at it all again before heading back out to view more homes.
image courtesy of RowdyKittens
That’s interesting. I must have looked at 40+ homes before finding the one. Unfortunately, I thought I could find something on my own. I felt it would come to me. That didn’t happen. Thankfully I came to my senses and started to trust my realtor and look only at homes that fit my criteria. Soon after I walked into a home and knew before I walked through the first room that the home I was in was the one. Searching for homes is exhausting but worth it when you know it’s the right one for you.
I do like that you emphasize finding an agent that will help you narrow down the criteria you’re looking for. This can help immensely with finding a home during your house hunt. After all, if the agent knows exactly what you’re looking for they can focus on that while they take you around.