From budget to keys, in the order things actually happen.
Buying a first home is less about the house and more about the order you do things in. Most people start with listings; the ones who end up happy start with a number and a street.
Begin with the budget, and make it honest. Include the tax, the insurance and the first year of surprises. Then get the pre-approval before you fall in love with anything, because the market moves faster than a bank.
Choose the area before the house. Walk it at 8 in the morning and at 10 at night. Listen. A quiet street with a smaller kitchen beats a loud one with a bigger island every time.
Visit at the right hour. Ask when the rooms you will use most get their light, and go back at that hour. A house is a different place at 9 and at 18.
Finally, keep the shortlist short. Three homes, one decision. If none of them is right, the answer is to wait, not to widen the net.
More notes
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Tell us the light you want and we’ll look.
Most of the homes we place never reach the listing. A twenty-minute call is enough to start.