It can be very exciting to dive straight into the show house circuit as a new buyer on the market, but a little planning can go a long way to finding the perfect home. 

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1. Be practical about your priorities and needs

Defining your needs is much more critical than choosing the right location, the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spots you need because you also have to consider things like practical budgets, lifestyle choices and future needs.

When you set a budget, maximum spending capacity should be avoided. A healthy financial buffer should be left to cover repairs and maintenance, moving expenses and any future interest that may arise. It’s important to be honest about your spending behavior, choices and needs in the lifestyle.

Recognize this and be cautious about your loan, and if you love green spaces but have a black thumb, avoid high-maintenance gardens unless you can afford a gardener. You may dream of being a DIY Fundi, but the purchase of a fixer-upper will not make you happy unless you have an aptitude for renovation management or handwork.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for any changes in growth or lifestyle. Looking into the future is necessary for long-term investments such as property.

Understanding both future needs and those of the present is definitely important. This could mean choosing a good school system, even though you don’t have kids yet, or searching for work-from-home facilities to give you future career flexibility.

It is always recommended that you think at least five to ten years ahead and make sure that the properties you see can fit your life plan.

2. Use a land broker

Once you’ve identified the essential features that you’re going to be looking for in a property and have narrowed your search area down to a few suburbs that tick the right boxes, it’s time to get in contact with an estate agent that’s active in the area. 

You can be first in line when a suitable home hits the market by going directly to an agent and sharing your requirements. This can be very valuable if you compete with other buyers with similar needs.

3. Do not be fooled by elegance

We are visual creatures and will judge books to some extent by their covers. In your property decisions, you should not give too much weight in superficial aesthetics. 

It’s easy to be won over by a particularly trendy property or turned off by a decorated home that doesn’t match your personal taste, but be careful not to let the esthetics blind you to the larger picture.

Don’t compromise your priorities, but note that new furniture and a paint coat can go a long way to turning an ugly duck into a swan. Stylish finishes and sleek designs also don’t guarantee a problem-free, well-maintained home.

4. Look a little bit deeper

There’s nothing worse than lifting your expectations just to discover a pile of costly problems under the surface of what you thought was your dream home. In order to avoid this condition, look a little bit deeper when you are looking for a property with an agent.

Don’t be afraid to look under the hood, so to speak-open the doors and windows, look into the corners and cabinets, search under the sinks and in the roof spaces and feel the walls moist.

Find out about the maintenance history of a home as well, although the seller’s agent might need to get back to you if they don’t have the information on hand.

If you are hoping to make an offer down the line, it is important to be respectful, so try to keep your questions as polite and non-judgmental as possible.

5. Lastly, do not give up

This may be the biggest part of any successful house hunt. 

It’s easy to get discouraged if you don’t find what you want or your offer hasn’t been accepted, but remember, the next home you see might be the one you want

Continue to look, try and keep in contact with your broker-it may take some time, but there’s your new home waiting for you.