Jumping into house listings and then trudging off to see dozens of homes that don’t even come close to meeting your needs is a very time-consuming and frustrating method for buying a home. If you want to save your sanity, take the time to outline just what your new-home criteria actually are. By providing a detailed list of your goals to your real estate professional, they will be able to guide you to house listings that meet your most important needs and save you a lot of time. Some of the criteria you will want to consider before looking at house listings include:

• Size – How many bedrooms and bathrooms will you need? Do you want a smaller home or a larger one? Are you content with a starter home, or do you need one that will be accommodating as your family size grows?

• Outdoor Space – Do you like to spend a lot of time doing outdoor activities and thus would prefer a large yard? Or, do you abhor yard work and thus would prefer a small yard, or perhaps even a condominium, where you do not have to maintain any outdoor space at all?

• Neighbourhood – What type of neighbourhood appeals to you most – in town? Country? Do you want a resort-style neighbourhood or a neighbourhood with primarily full-time residences?

• Floor Plan – Does an open floor plan appeal to you, or would you prefer a formal dining room and/or formal living room instead? Do you want an attic or basement?

• Budget – How much can you spend on a home? Can you handle doing some upgrading to get more house for the money?

These are just a few of the questions that we will ask you should you contact us about looking at house listings. We want to streamline your search, so we can save you time and effort. The more you tell us about your criteria, the better we can help you find you the home of your dreams. We have helped thousands of families like you in the Collingwood, ON area sort through house listings to find that gem. We are confident we can help you, too!