This post is sponsored by Opendoor. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

At some point you may find yourself looking to purchase a home for the first time or you’re on the hunt for your dream home. It’s certainly a process but it can be a fun process with the right tools and knowing where to begin. We’ve been through the home buying process twice, each one different from the other, but we have learned so much from both experiences.

Because of that, we’ve partnered up with Opendoor to bring you 5 tips to help you find your first or next home. These tips have nothing to do with loans, making an offer, or inspections. These are tips to help guide you in the looking process so you know when you’ve found the home for you. Which, of course, will then lead to making an offer. Let’s dive in and see how Opendoor just might be the perfect fit for you as you navigate through the home buying process.

1.Take Your Time and Don’t Rush When Viewing a Home

Sometimes we feel as if we have to rush and we’re on a time schedule when viewing a home. But reality is, you’re making a huge investment. Shouldn’t you take your time? Absolutely! Take in every space, the yard, and walk through as many times as you need to. This could be your dream home and you want to make sure you’re making the right choice by looking at all of the details of the home.

2. Visit the Home at Least Two Times

There will be that moment when you enter a home and you instantly fall in love with it. But then you head home and you start to second guess if it’s too good to be true. That’s why it’s always so important to visit the home at least two times. Really take a good look at the floor plan. Does it flow how you want it to? Does it have the tall ceilings you’ve been dreaming of? Is the path from the garage to the kitchen convenient when bringing in groceries?  And try to visit at different times of the day to see the lighting in the home. How does the sunrise, sunset, and those afternoon rays affect the space? By visiting the home twice, you can make sure you’re truly marking everything off of your must-have list.

3. Observe the Activity of the Neighborhood

The neighborhood is just as important as the home. Take note of the neighborhood activity, if there are any noisy neighbors (we’ve learned this lesson the hard way), the traffic on the roads surrounding the neighborhood, overall safety, and if the neighbors are out and about. The only way you can truly do this is by viewing the home in the morning and in the evening/at night. You an also take a walk around the neighborhood. Mornings tend to be calmer and you’ll get a true sense of the neighborhood in the evening.

4. Don’t Limit Your Search Area

We had our hearts set in a certain area when looking for our second home. We quickly realized what we wanted in a home and our price point were not lining up. We moved our search area out by a few miles, and wouldn’t you know it, we found our dream home. We’re also still minutes away from the main downtown area. Therefore, look in your ideal location but also don’t be afraid to move a little outside of it.

5. Know How Much You Want to Take On

Do you want a fixer upper, a partial fixer upper, or a move in ready home? Whatever you’re looking for, make sure it’s achievable within your budget, time frame of creating a home, and what you’re truly looking for. Take a step back and see if you can envision your family in the home and the potential the home may have.

Like I said, these tips are to help get you started in the home buying process. I know what you may be thinking at this point. All of these tips sound great but. . .

I knew there was going to be a “but” when there doesn’t have to be! You’re probably wondering:

• How much time can you truly take to view a home?
• How are you going to get a real estate agent to jump on board with viewing a home morning, noon, and night?
• Can you really visit a home as often as you need to?

Short answer: yes to all these questions! It’s a big decision when purchasing a home which makes of all these things matter. One solution is using Opendoor during the home buying process.  

If you live in one of more than a dozen markets that they serve, like Orlando, Opendoor  simplifies the process of selling and purchasing a home. Imagine being able to view a home on your schedule, any time between 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. With Opendoor you can through the ease of their app (iOS or Android), which allows you to access their available for-sale homes in your local community. This means you can view a home morning, noon, and night to get a true sense of the neighborhood and surrounding area while also taking your time.

You can speed-date through homes, up to 10 a day, versus only being able to go to 1-2 open houses on your precious weekends. This works to your advantage because you can quickly see homes in a competitive market and look when it’s convenient for you. Short on time? Tour a home before you head into to work or after you finish dinner. It’s up to you.

The point is, Opendoor meets your needs and works on your schedule. And don’t worry, if you need to speak to a real estate agent, they’ll work with an agent you already have or they can connect you with one within their partner network. Also, don’t let me forget those of you looking to sell your home! You can request an offer for your home by entering your address on Opendoor’s website with a response usually within 48 hours. Skip the headache of listing your home, open houses, and the waiting game by letting Opendoor purchase your home.  

With my 5 tips on finding your dream home and using Opendoor along with regularly listed homes, you’ll be well on your way in no time to saying hello to your new home. You can even make an offer through the app. You’ll have all the confidence in the world when closing on your home since you’ll know without a doubt you’ve found the perfect home. I’d love to answer any questions you may have about homeownership, so don’t hesitate to get in touch! To find out more about Opendoor, check out their FAQ section here.

Let’s keep in touch!

We have a great community over on Facebook, House & Home, where we’ll be chatting, sharing, and helping one another when it comes to home decor and projects. Come join us! Check it out here. 

Like on Facebook || Follow on Instagram || Follow on Pinterest