Have you seen house after house, but not one is just right? Well, you might be looking for a unicorn. No, we aren’t talking about the mythical horse-like creature! In real estate, a “unicorn” is a home that professionals know you are never going to find because your requirements are just too strict. Unfortunately, you aren’t willing to settle for anything less than your “perfect” home, even if that home doesn’t exist. So, house hunting becomes a long, difficult search for the elusive unicorn.
This type of house hunting is not only frustrating for your Realtor, but for you, too. In order to change this house hunting experience, you must become more realistic about your home buying goals. In our professional opinion, there are two ways to do that.
Tip #1: Make a need, want and nice-to-have list before house hunting.
Organizing the form, function, and features of your ideal home into need to have (or must-haves), want to have (wants), and nice-to-have (but could definitely live without) is one of the best ways to discover what is really important to you and your family. Though you might not want to relinquish some of your wants, focus on the features which cannot be changed in the future. For example, your new home’s location can’t be changed. On the other hand, a pool can be added later. Finding a home that meets your needs, plus contains some of your wants, is a more realistic house hunting venture. (For more information about organizing wants and needs, click here.)
After utilizing this organization strategy, if it still proves impossible to find the house you need, then you should seriously consider our next tip.
Tip #2: Stop hunting & build a new, custom home instead.
Hang on a minute! We’re on a budget!
You are not alone in your concerns. The word “custom” scares many buyers. Custom, however, doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll blow the budget. In fact, building a new home is an option that may allow you to fulfill more needs and wants within your budget than buying a pre-existing home (especially if you aren’t finding the floor plan that your family really needs).
Now, building a new home does NOT mean that you’re going to get every need, want, and like-to-have on your list. But if your house hunting has been fruitless, it might be easier to build what you need rather than spending even more time trying to find a house that fits your requirements.
Ready to build your unicorn?!
If you’re ready to consider building a custom home, contact us! We’d be happy to help put you in your Element!
For more information…
We realize that budget is very important, so you might also be interested in reading “How to stay in budget when building a home.”
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