Buying a house but very busy? 3 essential tips that will save you time!

Are you looking for a house? Buying a house in this crazy housing market can also be frustrating. You take time off to tour a house but then the house looks very different from the pictures or you find yourself in a house with 20 other viewers. “Never mind,” “I’ll wait until the market changes” and “a waste of my time” are many cries we hear around us from home seekers. Very logical but don’t give up, tackle it differently! I’ll give you 3 tips to make good use of your time.

Tip #1: Are those pretty pictures realistic?

Moving plans? Then you must be scrolling for hours on Funda, too. Addictive huh? When you have seen a nice house after sleuthing on Funda, you want to schedule an appointment to see the house in real life. Nowadays, almost all real estate agents use a professional photographer to paint the best possible picture, but as a buyer, the main thing you want is as realistic a picture as possible. After all, you want to be able to properly assess in advance whether you want to set aside your precious time for a viewing. Good to know that photographers often use a wide-angle lens, which makes spaces appear larger. Therefore, always look carefully at floor plans and dimensions as well. Compare the dimensions and your furniture in your own home to get a better estimate of reality beforehand.

Tip 2: Check out the neighborhood ahead of time (online and live)

The photographer takes (of course) mostly pictures of the house itself; the outside and the inside. Through the photos of the house itself, sometimes you still don’t have a good idea of the location. It’s wise, if you don’t know the neighborhood, to check out what the area looks like on google maps. Nowadays, this can even be 3D so you get a better picture. Then you can immediately see how the house is located in relation to the sun, the road and whether there isn’t an apartment complex nearby, for example, which limits the sun in your yard. You can also view walking and biking routes via google. Check how far the stores, sports clubs, etc. are and how far you have to bike to get downtown. Does all this appeal to you? Then go for a bike or car ride through the neighborhood first, not only on Sunday afternoons but also during busier times. For example, from your work. You can do this even before you schedule a viewing. That way you get a better impression beforehand!

Tip 3: Read the sales text so you don’t get any surprises

This sounds like an open door, yet most people don’t read sales copy when browsing Funda. This is even though there is frequently important information in the sales text or brochure. After the unctuous sales slogans of why you should buy this house and the USPs, important information is often provided, read them carefully so you go into the viewing prepared or perhaps decide you don’t want to buy the house with those conditions. If you are buying from a housing association, see if clauses are included that limit your options regarding the house. If you’re buying an apartment, check how much the service charge is right away. If you are buying a property in Utrecht, check whether a ground lease applies, and which ground lease. These are charges you have to pay every month! If you schedule a viewing at the house, ask for and review all relevant documents right away!

Sage advice: Get a buying agent 😉

When you are busy and also don’t have time to spend hours scrolling through Funda think about a buying agent. As a buying agent, I email my clients new homes every day. I go over the new listings with my clients every morning to coordinate with them on whether I will schedule a viewing for them there. I look critically at the house, the asking price and estimate the value beforehand. That’s how we determine together whether the house is worth it.

In this busy housing market, the selling brokers often set 2 viewing times and you often have to take time off for an appointment. So do your homework well before you go sightseeing: you’ll save everyone – yourself, your employer and the seller – a lot of time. Good luck with the tips and can’t figure it out? Then we’ll do it together. I will quiz you, ask critical questions and give my opinion. Together, we decide whether to visit.

Have a cup of coffee?