8 Things To Disclose With Your Realtor Before Looking For Your First Home

The 2022 housing market, as predicted, has given sellers the upper hand. There are fewer homes than there are potential buyers, and the national average for time on the market is just 34 days! With that being said, there is no time to waste when it comes to finding your dream home. Save yourself and your realtor time by disclosing your preferences for these things before you start your home search…

1. Location

The most important place to start is where you want to live! The more defined an area, the better. Other factors can go into choosing a location as well, such as commute time to work or closeness to family members.  

2. Price

Setting a budget is necessary to establish before you begin your search. Disclose to your realtor what your hard maximum allowance is, and listen to their advice. When it comes to the real estate market, sometimes offering above listing price can help you score your dream home. So you may begin looking for homes a bit under budget. And don’t forget to factor in closing costs!

3. Square Footage

How big does your home need to be? How much space is too much space? When it comes to the square footage you can share other opinions with your realtor such as specific square footage of the kitchen and living room, or other spaces in the house.

4. Bedrooms

Share with your realtor your desired amount of bedrooms upfront, leaving nothing to assume. A four-person family may desire five bedrooms to have space for a converted office. Letting them know your needs before your search will save time.

5. Baths

Just like bedrooms, let your realtor know how many bathrooms your house needs to have. You can also specify on location, for example, sharing that you’d prefer a half bath on the first floor, near the kitchen. 

6. Schools

Not everyone will have a preference in schools, but if you do, let your realtor know. It may not be enough to say that you’d like to live in a specific city or county. Most cities have multiples of every school level within their limits. If you’d like your children to attend a specific school, figure out the school zones and go from there. 

7. Style

Style is important in terms of both the interior and exterior of your home. If you can only imagine yourself living in a modern farmhouse-style home, make sure to tell your realtor so they can find the best properties for you to view!

8. Features

Housing features are some of the biggest selling points in homes and are what really drive buyers to buy! Most home buyers have a long list of features they’d like a home to have. This can be anything from a 2 car garage to a swimming pool to a walk-in pantry. When deciding on which features are most important to you and your home buying process, make sure not to make the list too long, or you risk dreaming of a home that may not exist in your area! My best tip is to rank your desired features from most to least important.  

Being upfront and sharing your opinion on all of these points will save you time when starting your home buying process, and will keep your dream home from falling into the hands of someone else!