Five tips for managing house hunting stress

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Often compared to dating, shopping for the right house involves investing time and energy with no guarantee of return, putting yourself out there to “try on” options that don’t fit, getting stood up a time or two and showing up to do it all over again until you meet “the one.” Also, it’s often paired with other stressful events—getting a mortgage, relocating or starting a new job.

No surprise, then, that it ranks so high on the life stress inventory; however, there are ways to soften the impact. Here are a few strategies that take the pressure from intense down to manageable:

1. Acknowledge the overwhelm. You aren’t crazy. You’re buying a house. This comes with a lot of decisions, details and perhaps a few tough conversations. It’s going to involve some waiting. You’re going to feel heightened emotions and secondguess yourself. All of the above is extremely normal.

2. Work with the right agent. Do yourself a favor and make the complexities of lending, negotiating and buying as easy as possible by working with experienced, qualified professionals who are worthy of your trust. A good agent will anticipate your needs, listen to your concerns, offer vetted resources and make the process seamless.

3. Only view a few houses at a time.

An easy way to get overwhelmed?

Pack a lot of showings into a small time frame, and not allow yourself time to process your impressions and responses. It’s easy for all those options to blend together. Whenever possible, take your time.

4. Face facts from the beginning. Being upfront and disclosing everything at the outset might mean you have a few tough conversations ahead of you regarding financing or timing, but those conversations are always preferable to realizing too late that a negotiation fell through because you didn’t have them.

5. Act without regret.

When it’s time to make an offer, don’t act from fear or take the easy way out. Make an offer you won’t regret later.

Stress always accompanies change and transition, but it doesn’t need to be the only thing you remember about the experience. The best way to handle the overwhelm is to ask for help. If you need assistance staging your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you! Compiled