Searching for a new home can be difficult.  Many times you walk through a home and it isn’t exactly what you want or it doesn’t have the right feel.  Sometimes the lighting is off or the color is just not right.  Well fortunately for the troubled home buyers, Houzz, created a list of the 12 Housing Hunting Tips, to make your home buying experience easier.  I have taken the top five from this list, as I think they are the most important and reasonable.

1)  Make a List of What you Want for your Home

Lets face it, we are all dreamers.  We all want the large classic home, with a large backyard, in the city, at a low price, with classic woodwork, in the right neighborhood, and move in ready.  Unfortunately, this is terribly unrealistic.  Instead it is better to make a small realistic list of the things your home must have.  For example, wood flooring, stainless steel appliances, and vaulted ceilings.  A list like this gives you more options for neighborhoods and homes, as well as allowing you to look at homes that are specifically tailored to your list.

2)  Walk Through the Property, with an Unbiased Opinion

This one is really important, as no home is perfect.  There are going to be features you don’t like, weird layouts, and horrible colors.  However, by going through with an unbiased opinion you can see the true beauty of the home, and imagine its potential.  Remember, you can always change the paint color, and knock down a wall or two.

3) Make a Pro/ Con List

Once you have looked at several homes, make a pro and con list of the things you liked and disliked.  By doing so, you can get an honest evaluation of each home and whether it is going to be right for you.   Specifically, if there are more things in the con list than there are in the pro list, it is probably better that you do not buy this home.

4) Imagine How you are Going to Use the Spaces in the Home

Once you have found a home you like, and it has more pros, than cons, it is important to imagine how you are going to use the spaces.  Think about the layout of your bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, to see if your style truly fits the home.  By planning out your ideas, it can eliminate any disappointment after moving in the home, and make sure that the space is right for you.

5)  Look at the Property at Different Times in the Day

Flickr Creative Commons: Sonja Lovas

Just as the inside of the home is important, it is also important to consider the outside of the home.  By stopping by the property at different times of the day, you can get a good feel for the how it is going to look at all times of day, and whether the vibe of the neighborhood throughout the day is right for you.  For example, say you view the home at eleven in the afternoon, and everything is quiet and orderly. However when you come back around six o’clock at night, it is a busy, noisy neighborhood, full of kids and parties.  This would be an unfortunate situation.  That is why by checking the home at different times of day, you can eliminate this problem entirely.

Now that you know the tricks of the trade, go out and find the home of your dreams! But remember, remain realistic and open minded, as you could come to like something you never thought you would!