How to Avoid Home Buyer’s Remorse

It's human nature to question big decisions. Here are 3 tips to avoiding home buyer's remorse.

My fiancé and I recently purchased our first home–a monumental milestone in the journey of growing up. We live in an urban market where homes sell like hot cakes and split-second offer decisions are the norm. We had only been looking for a few weeks when we found what we knew was the right one for us — a two story townhome with a small backyard, an extra bedroom and plenty of charm (exposed brick and all!) But, after we made the offer and the home was ours, we suddenly had a moment of panic. What had we just done?!

Within 10 days we had made the offer, negotiated the price and conducted the home inspection. The process only seemed to speed up from there with mortgage approvals and closing. It felt like we had blinked and when we opened our eyes, we were homeowners. Now, I know that the home-buying process is not always as quick for everyone and empathize with those that spend months and even years searching for the perfect home.

But, one thing that I think is inevitable during the home buying process is doubt. It’s human nature. We all question big decisions: picking a university, accepting a job offer, selecting a baby name, buying a home. Our way of making sure that we’re doing the right thing is to weigh the pros and cons.

BANNER - FINAL

But, sometimes even after we’ve made the decision and we’re convinced it’s the right one, we can still experience a little doubt. The negative result that can sometimes come out of this careful weighing of options is that once we do make a decision, we can’t help second guessing ourselves.

Here are 3 tips to avoid Home Buyer’s Remorse:

1. Stop looking! – While those email alerts from real estate websites are helpful during your home search, seeing what’s new on the market will only add to your doubt. Mulling over what could have been can only result in buyer’s remorse. Stop searching, you’ve found the one!

2. Get to know your neighborhood – For us, one of the biggest adjustments was leaving the town we had grown to love, but learning about all of the new hot spots, meeting our new neighbors and trying out new things has helped us come to love our new neighborhood, too.

3. Make it yours – It’s up to you to make your house feel like home. Decorate your new home with personal touches that truly make it your own. Add family photos or pictures from your latest vacation. Give the walls a fresh coat of paint. Start a list of projects, like switching out the front door, that will make the house truly feel like home.

Remember, you weighed the pros and cons and picked this house for a reason. Now all it needs is a little love to make it feel like home. For more home buyer advice or to look for a home in your area, visit coldwellbanker.com.

Victoria Keichinger
Victoria Keichinger

Victoria Keichinger is the Vice President, Brand Marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. When she's not managing national media and advertising for the Coldwell Banker brand at work, she finds herself most at home in Jersey City, NJ with her pre-school crush turned spouse and son. A true Francophile, she loves to travel and will go anywhere there are ski slopes.

5 comments

  1. Tori I LOVE this post. You captured what ever first time buyer goes through perfectly. Congrats on your new home!

  2. Great post, I agree! You get engaged, you stop dating…you have an accepted offer, you stop looking! That’s the best way to squash that doubting feeling😉.
    Karen Thomas
    Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
    Commerce, Michigan
    248-505-3066

  3. Great insight Tori! I love the stop looking advice and most importantly to reach out and meet your new neighborhood! You never know the great connections out there till you extend the offer of new friendship!

    1. Thanks, Shari! You’re so right. We love our home and can’t imagine living anywhere else…for right now 😉

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