When you’re searching for a home, it is important to feel some semblance of love towards the place that you eventually plan to move into. If you don’t feel that connection, it can grow into a dissatisfaction that can really influence your life there. However, falling in love with a house, at first sight, can be dangerous, too. Here are some of those dangers and how you can manage them.
Forgetting your needs and wants
You need to be, to some degree, objective about the qualities of the homes that you’re looking at and choosing between. An emotional connection is one thing, but what about your more practical needs, such as bedrooms, space, and other vital features, not to mention wants that can help you live the kind of lifestyle you’ve been aiming for. It’s a good idea to make a checklist of your needs and wants. Then, you have something that you can tick off while looking at homes, making sure that you keep your priorities straight. If you fall in love with a home but find it doesn’t tick nearly all of your wants, then you should seriously consider moving on from it.
Paying more than you should be
If you fall in love with a house and, what’s more, let it show, then you are putting the ball thoroughly in the court of the seller. It’s a seller’s market at the moment, so finding wiggle room can be tough, but there are still negotiation tactics that you can use to get some houses below their asking price. However, if you make it clear that you love the home, then the seller can take advantage of that clear want on your end, urging you to pay more for the property than you would otherwise.
Missing out on buying a much better home
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but you might be missing some pretty green grass if you don’t even take a look beyond the first home you fall in love with. Beyond your own means, you should look at homes for sale online, consult with housing agents, and check out what listings you can. There’s a very good chance that if you found one home you like a lot, you will find another, but one that’s either a better price or has more of the features that should be on your needs list.
Missing other options, entirely
It’s not just other homes that you might miss out on, it’s other kinds of opportunities, as well. For instance, you might be in a position to build your own home, instead. While it can be more expensive, you might be able to build your dream home from the ground up, if you’re willing to act on the opportunity where that land is available and you have the money.
You can’t stop yourself from falling in love. You can, however, make sure that you don’t make decisions based entirely on that flush of emotion. The tips above might just help you do that.
