There’s a ‘disease’ affecting almost every home buyer, and it’s called analysis paralysis. People tend to mull over their decision too hard, sometimes to a fault, that they get stuck, not knowing whether to pursue or ditch a house they’ve been eyeing for months. It’s not surprising to be in this situation. Property is probably the most expensive thing you’ll buy, so it makes sense to think about this decision long and hard. But at the same time, you also have to be conscious when you’re already thinking too long and too hard, and make every effort to snap out of it. Here are the steps to avoid analysis paralysis:
Tame your curiosity.
There’s so much information now about home buying. A scroll in your social media newsfeed, and you can see multiple ads showing so many beautiful homes. Three minutes after tuning into a news program, and you’d see another celebrity buying a new house at some gated community in Utah. Unconsciously, you make your way down to the rabbit hole of searching for beautiful homes. It’s a good practice sometimes, knowing more about stuff. But often, it just makes you second-guess decisions, getting you stuck in that endless loop of what-ifs. Set parameters on which information you’d have to learn. At the very least, you have to know the financial aspect of buying a home, the loan process. Beyond the aesthetics, this is what you should prepare for. The best way to learn about this is to consult a Utah mortgage lender. Ask professionals to walk you through the entire loan process.
Don’t lose sight of your non-negotiables.
Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to get fixated on the ‘dream house’, perhaps due to the influence of social media and renovation shows as well. Buyers pass up on good homes, thinking, overthinking that there’s something better out there. But if this is the principle you’re following, you’ll never stop searching and contemplating because for sure, there will be something more beautiful, more spacious of a house than the houses you see now. Instead of looking for your dream home, look for the good home. The good home is something that satisfies your lifestyle needs, most especially your budget. List down your non-negotiables and refer to them as you visit properties. If a house doesn’t tick off a need, don’t dwell on it further, even if it has the infinity pool and indoor gym you want. Skip to the next one. Don’t get stuck at home features you don’t need.
Set deadlines.
Deadlines will help avoid decisions that are pending for too long. When home buyers face a tough decision, they often park the idea first, sleep on it, so they could revisit it fresh later. When you don’t set a deadline as to when you’d consider the decision again, problems happen. Since there’s no sense of urgency, you probably won’t think about your dangling decision during the break. Or, you probably won’t return to it as soon as possible, causing you to forget what you’ve already thought about it. So, again, you’re in this loop of not having definitive decisions. Set deadlines, then. Whether that is in finally applying for a loan or making the offer, put a deadline to it.
Cure Analysis Paralysis
Indecisiveness has no place in the home buying journey. It will cost you so much, not just in resources, but energy and time. So avoid getting stuck. Take note of these tips to prevent this epidemic.
