5 Hacks To Make Your Knoxville Home Search More Efficient

It can be exciting to think about buying a new home. You may start researching online and dreaming of what your future home may look like. You’re filled with joy and excitement over the prospect of buying something new.

Then reality sets in: buying a home can be overwhelming. Can you afford what you want to buy? Do you know exactly what you want? Will you be able to find the right home that meets your needs?

All of the details involved in finding the right home can be overwhelming to say the least. If you’re not careful, you could be caught chasing your tail when you’re not sure what you want. To help make your Knoxville home search easier, here are 5 hacks to make your home search more efficient.

Get Pre-Approved First

Without securing a pre-approval letter, you cannot truly start your Knoxville home search without knowing what your budget is.

Many buyers will jump into a home search and think about securing a pre-approval once they finally find a home. This can be a very painful mistake for many buyers. Without a pre-approval, you have no idea how much you can afford. You may be shocked to find out that your pre-approved for more or less than your originally thought. There is absolutely nothing worse than falling in love with a home that’s out of your price range.

You’ll save yourself lots of time and headaches if you get pre-approved from the very start. That way, when you start your home search, you’ll know exactly what you need to be looking for.

Start Search Online

A vast majority of home searches start online. With the ability to start your home search online, you can save yourself a great deal of time. Instead of spending an afternoon looking at disappointing houses, you could save yourself the time and rule them out before you look at them.

It’s important to take advantage of looking at homes online prior to seeing them in person. In many cases, you can figure out if a home meets your need by just looking at the pictures. While looking at homes online doesn’t replace seeing them in person, it can still give you good idea of what you’re dealing with.

Starting your home search online can also give you a realistic perspective of what to expect in your price range. You may want a home loaded with upgrades only to find those upgrades aren’t typical in your priced range. This will allow you start your home search with tempered expectations.

Rank Your Top Wants/Needs

Another key thing to make your home search more efficient is to have a clear understanding of what you want and need in a home.

A housing need is something that is essential in a house. For example, if you have kids, you may need a certain number of bedrooms or bathrooms. Things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a certain square footage, a bonus room, or home office are all things that are typical housing needs.

In contrast, a housing want is something you’d like to have, but it’s not essential. For example, you may prefer an updated kitchen and master bathroom. Housing wants are the little extras to a home that are the icing on the cake. Things like neutral paint throughout, a great patio, or lots of storage space are all typical housing wants.

Narrow A Location

When you’re searching for a home, it’s important to narrow down your location. Knoxville can become overwhelming if you don’t narrow down your search area.

Before you start your home search, it can be important to narrow down what you want to be close to. Do you want to be close to work or downtown? It it important to be near shopping? Do you want to be near the water? These are all things that matter when you start your home search.

It can be helpful to pinpoint an area in which to start your home search. It can also be helpful to scout around the area that you want to be in. You may find that the surrounding area suit your needs as well.

Don’t Waste Your Time

Finally, when you’re searching for a home, it’s important that you don’t waste your own time.

Before you start your home search, be sure you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for. This will ensure that you don’t waste your time looking at homes that don’t fit what you need.

In addition, it’s important not to waste your time looking at homes that are lacking something definitive that you need. If a home lacks a bedroom or something else essential you need, don’t waste your time looking at the home. You run the risk of falling in love with a home that doesn’t meet your needs.

Are you thinking about buying a Knoxville this year? Please let us know if there is anyway that Knoxville Home Team can assist you. Rick can be reached at 865-696-9002 or via email at [email protected]. Kati can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 865-696-1888.

If you’re ready to start your home search today, be sure to our Knoxville Home Search Page.