Coleman Allied

Finding the house of your dreams is hard enough even when you’re familiar with the area. Moving to a new region or a different country can be even more stressful. Here are a few tips to keep your house hunt-from-afar from becoming too overwhelming.

1. Renting for a while can be a great way to experience sections of your new city and figure out what you want to be close to. It is hard to get the feel of a city and what amenities you might use the most until you are actually living in the area. Renting allows you to be able to move in a shorter amount of time without losing money or losing your mind. 

2. Constant communication with your realtor about your needs and preferences can make much more efficient time of their time and yours. When you have particular things on your wish list like good school districts or access to public transit, keep your realtor posted. Consider making a list of desires in a home and rating it from “important” to “unimportant.” Knowing all these things up front will help your realtor find homes that fit your ideals. 
3. Online viewing of houses is a great way to get a jump-start on the house hunt no matter where you’re moving. You can rule out anything that doesn’t seem to fit your vibe, and check out the geography of neighborhoods. Use maps to get your bearings, and see how close houses are to the highway, downtown, and so on. Always be cautious when viewing online though- sometimes the camera doesn’t give you the full picture of spacing and flow of a house. 
4. Making trips to view a handful of houses can help you find what you are really looking for. Trying to view twenty or thirty houses in a single trip is sure to wear you out and leave the details feeling fuzzy. If you do your homework up front and have your realtor set up viewings at houses that really fit your needs, you can maximize the use of your travel time.

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