Managing the Stress of Buying a Home

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Home buying can feel like a daunting task and usually encompasses more than just the financial and logical aspects. There are stressors surrounding the processes, possible rejections, the waiting game and a host of other personal factors that can influence your sentiments toward the whole ordeal. Fret not. Here are a few ways to ease the tension of your home buying stressors and get through the process successfully.

Declined & Approved

It’s always disheartening to get declined for something you were hoping for. The thought of the possibility may even lead to added stress during the process, but fear not. You have options. While it’s not uncommon to receive certain letters of declination or have a seller decline your offer, you can diminish the stress leading up to it by having solid contingencies in place.

Instead of setting your sights on just one house, try setting your sights on a type of house and choose a few in the region that you’d like to settle into. That way, if one of your offers is declined for another buyer, you’ll still be able to move on to the next home on your list with little to no search time. The same goes for loans.

If you understand your exact financial capacity, you’ll be able to apply for the right loan for you. Likewise, if you lack those few extra points on your credit score, explore all of your available options such as FHA or USDA along with conventional loan providers. If a conventional lender rejects your request for financing, you know where you stand and you can look to secure financing elsewhere.

Patience & Processes

One thing that can drive homebuyers crazy is the waiting. Sitting back and waiting for other parties to sign paperwork, examine offers or script up the inspection reports can make life a little extra stressful. Sometimes your mind will play tricks on you or you’ll ruminate on possibilities other than your desired outcome. Take a deep breath. There are ways to combat this.

When you sign or submit paperwork, be sure to ask about standard turnaround time for the decision or updates. Add a decent buffer of about 2 to 3 days to that estimate for any unforeseen issues that might come up.

Make sure that you also double check your portion of the work. While you may not control the time certain processes take, you can control your end of the processes. Make sure you have the right documentation, provide the correct information and ask if there is anything else that you need to provide during your communications and meetings.

Negotiation & Confidence

There will most likely be times when negotiations take a strange turn and require compromise. That’s okay, but take the time to remind yourself. While both parties typically understand that there is room for compromise and adjustments in contracts and agreements, but sometimes rationale gets lost in the stress. Remind yourself that you have a confident team behind you that includes your real estate agent, loan officer and the teams both bring with them.

You could also set parameters for yourself. Allow yourself a range for how far from your original deal you’re willing to stray. Giving yourself that mental wiggle room will help decrease the stress associated with not knowing where your own boundaries are and can aid in building confidence when the negotiations come to a head.

Let yourself breathe and take a step back once the processes start. There are going to be some ebbs and flows when buying your home, but the result is definitely worth the effort. Have confidence in your decisions and your team, and you’ll be able to control the stress instead of the other way around.