How Many Homes Do We Have to See?

One of the questions that almost every homebuyer I've ever met with has asked me is "How Many Homes Do We Have to See?"  This particular question has always struck me as a little bit odd and silly.  There's no exact answer for everyone and the real answer, I guess, is that you have to see enough homes until you find the one you like!  While buying a home is a very important decision, and you should never rush it, you never know when that right house is going to jump out in front of you screaming "BUY ME! THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

So, when Northern Virginia homebuyers ask me this question, here's the answer that I normally provide:

Everybody is different.  Some people will go see 35 houses until they find the one that they like, while others only need to see a few.  If you already live in the area and have a pretty good idea of where you want to be in terms of location, how much you can afford, and the amenities that you desire, it shouldn't take much to see the homes that match those criteria and we can narrow it down pretty quickly.  If you're moving here from another part of the country and don't know the difference between Falls Church and Great Falls, Old Town Alexandria and Northwest Washington D.C., it may take a while to learn the area and explore around.

If you're like my average client, you'll likely look at about 10-15 homes before making your final decision on which home to purchase.  However, it may not take that many.  One time, and only one time so far, I had a client look at just ONE home and then buy it!  I had another set of clients who looked at 3 homes in one evening, liked them all and bought one of them.  Then I've had some buyers whose Northern Virginia home search seemed to go on forever.  They even joked with me "Have you ever shown more homes to a single client before?" 

Using my Northern Virginia online home search is a great way to narrow down the search if you don't want to spend too many weekends driving around endlessly looking at homes.

Whether you go to see one, or you go to see 42, or anywhere in between, relax, I'll help you find a house that you'll be happy to call home!