9 Emotions of the Home Buying Process
Buying a home is a big event for most people, and one that doesn’t pass quickly or quietly. There is so much more than the HGTV shows portray when it comes to finally settling down in your own piece of property and it is best to prepare for the rollercoaster of emotions that come with it.
Wishfulness. The house search usually starts out with a less-than-serious look at properties in your dream area. You start with an online search of houses in a vast range of prices and have probably pinned a dozen home inspirations. Without too many parameters or actual walk-throughs, you’ve probably found quite a few perfectly portrayed houses you could easily imagine living in.
Hopefulness. You’ve persevered through the less-than-fun logistics of the home-buying process and got all your ducks in a row. You have a realistic price range (and if you’re extra ambitious you’re prequalified) and you are now viewing properties with purpose, weeding out the ones that don’t meet your specific needs. You still enjoy walking through houses and imagining your own life in each one and you’re confident you’ll find the right one soon.
Excitement.You think you’ve found the one! You walked in, and it just felt right. You’ve already begun planning paint colors and furniture placement and are counting down the seconds until you hear back on your offer. You look at your potential closing date and start imagining all future holidays and events in your new home. You can’t wait to move in.
Disappointment. You get the bad news that the home of your dreams will not be yours. Whether your offer was rejected, outbid, or not presented in time, it’s like saying goodbye to a whole life you had dreamt out in the future that now will not exist. You begrudgingly decide to put what feels like wasted time and effort behind you and move forward in the search.
Despair. You’ve looked at what seems like thousands of houses and either they don’t fit the bill or they were unobtainable for one reason or another. Maybe you’ve found a couple of ideal homes and put a lot of time and energy into each one only to find out the offer won’t be going through. You feel tired and hopeless; you’ll never find your perfect home at this rate.
Cautiousness. You think you’ve finally found your next home, but after a long journey or lost opportunities you’ve learned to not get ahead of yourself. You love this house, it’s why you made an offer on it, but you don’t want to set yourself up for another let down.
Confusion. Your offer was accepted! You’re incredibly excited to finally be moving forward. But at the same time, oh my god your offer was accepted. This is a huge purchase, a huge change. Are you ready for it? Did you make the right decision? Is this a good move financially? With this likely being the biggest transaction you’ll ever make, it’s normal for there to be a whirlwind of emotions as you move forward with a particular purchase. Take a deep breath, talk it out, and get excited for move-in day.
Overwhelme
d. Who knew there was still so much left to do after your offer was accepted? You have the stress of the inspection report which can lead to contractor appointments and calls to your county departments and a look into your finances. You have your mortgage application and the search for all financial documents you’ve accumulated over the past two years (and if you’re like me you did not keep those organized). You have the appraisal and the deadlines and the quotes for home insurance. It all adds up and likely takes up the majority of your time and sanity and you do all that you can to make it to your closing date in one piece.
Happiness. The home is yours. You’ve signed the papers, made your payments, and it is finally all yours. You’ve moved all your furniture and possessions, and possibly family members, into this home and the journey is over. You have the chance to make it your own and tune everything to your taste. The long process was worth it because nothing compares to building wonderful memories in your own home.
Luckily, many of the undesirable stages can be avoided. I was not so lucky when I began looking for my first home and later learned a lot of the negative feelings were the result of a less-than-par realtor. I found myself being pushed to look at my realtor’s own listings that didn’t fit my criteria and wasted our time. I lost out on houses as a result of a lack of urgency, unfamiliarity with the contract process, and absence of communication. If you’re looking for a house and a more favorable experience or if you just have questions about the process in general, leave your information and I will be in touch as soon as possible.
