January 4, 2012

How many homes does the average Seattle home buyer look at before buying?

After a couple of weeks of driving around, showing Seattle homes to buyers, I will usually be asked…..”So, how many homes do buyers usually look at before they buy?”

Door with number 2 How many homes does the average Seattle home buyer look at before buying?

It's more than two!

In my experience, the majority of Seattle home buyers will visit between 5 and 15 homes before finding the right one. It is highly unlikely that the first home you see will be the one you end up buying. Obviously, some buyers will preview fewer homes and some will look at a lot more.

There are a number of factors that will affect how long it may take to find the perfect home for you:

  • Time-wise, most buyers will be looking at homes for between 3 weeks and 3 months.
  • The more homes you see at the start, you’ll have a better idea of what really works for you and what you can actually afford.
  • Also, once you have seen a good number of homes you will feel more comfortable making an offer on the home that “speaks to you”. By then, you’ll know a good home when you see it!
  • The ideal number of homes to visit on a property tour with a Realtor is 5 or less. More than that, and they will all start merging into one giant and confusing Seattle home.
  • After the first two weeks of previewing homes with me, the search will be a lot more selective and you will only go see 1 or 2 at a time based on the feedback I get from our initial property tour(s).
  • The more selective your home buying wish-list, the fewer your options and potentially the longer it will take to find the right home. Likewise, if say for example, you are looking for a 3 bedroom home in the 2 bedroom price range.
  • When the listing inventory is lower, as is currently the case, it may take longer to find the ideal home.
  • If the right house for you  just doesn’t exist right now, either take a break for a while or expand your search to other neighborhoods.
  • And, don’t forget, once you do find the right home and if your offer is accepted, it will take around 4 weeks to close and take possession.

Basically, everyone is different and everyone has different timelines, priorities and degrees of perseverance.

So how may homes did you look at before you found the right one and made an offer?

 

 

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