Have you felt that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach? Have you felt the fear that you’ve made the wrong decision, the pang of guilt that you paid too much? The pain that I am speaking of is buyer’s remorse, one of the more aggravating feelings in life. I know I’ve felt it after buying a particular sweater where I loved at the store and then did not like it all once I got home. However, buyer’s remorse for a $30 sweater is nothing compared to buyer’s remorse for a new home.
Buyer’s remorse is programmed into humans, so that we second guess ourselves to a point that we are no longer happy with the house of our dreams. It must be stopped! But how? The process is simple. Before you ever step foot in an open house, open a home magazine, or speak to that fast-talking realtor, make a list of things that you want in your home. We’ll simply call this the “Want List”.
Now it’s time to find your home! Be sure to do all your research and listen to family and friends about the homes that you are looking at. And bam there it is! You’ve found it! But before you close any deals, it’s time to make another list. Or really two since you need to write down the pros and cons of this home. Now take out your very first Want List. Do the pros match the big items on the Want List? Do the cons outweigh the Want List, or was your original Want List too unrealistic? Be sure that the Want List and the Pros/Cons list line up with each other.
You’ve analyzed your lists and the home is a definite go. Seal the deal and sign those papers! You go home to celebrate and then as you are crawling into bed those feelings of regret begin to creep up. You gently push the first feelings away, but then the more you push the more buyer’s remorse pushes back! Before you spend a sleepless night of running through illogical scenarios of why your new home will be the regret of your life, pull out your handy Want and Pros/Cons list. Scan through all the logical reasons of why you loved this house in the first place. Soon enough your mind and the buyer’s remorse should be at ease.
If your buyer’s remorse cannot be satisfied through your lists, there are ways to get out of the contracts legally, but it may cost you a little. Often times it just takes time for you to get used to the idea of your new home and of course a little decorating to make it really feel like a home. For more information about new homes check out www.newhomesource.com.
