The revelation that would-be home buyers on HGTV’s popular “House Hunters” program may be looking at homes that aren’t even for sale has caused a stir.
But even if “House Hunters” is, in part, fake, there are some real lessons home buyers should take from the show. We’re not saying that the show always gives you a realistic view of what it’s like to buy a house, just that you can learn from watching about some things you should do when you’re buying a house and some you shouldn’t.
Photo: Deposit Photos
Location matters.
Many times the prospective home buyers have to choose between a large house that is far from their desired neighborhood and a small house that may need work in a more desirable area.
There is no one right answer here, but choosing whether you’ll be happier in a large house with a long commute or a small house with a short commute is one of the most important questions you need to answer.
The floor plan matters.
In some cases, you can easily knock down a wall and create a larger room, but in many cases the costs of those types of renovations are prohibitive. You can easily change paint colors, wallpaper, flooring and ugly light fixtures, but you cannot easily change the location of the bedrooms or the size of the kitchen.
Appliances don’t matter.
Every time I watch “House Hunters,” I want to yell this at the young buyers: You can buy stainless steel appliances. It is easy and relatively cheap, as home improvements go, to change appliances. Ditto for granite counter tops.
No house is perfect.
No matter how picky you are, you will have to make compromises on location, home features or maybe both. No house will be exactly what you want, and looking at 100 houses will not change that.
Budget matters.
But $1,000 or $2,000 (or in higher price ranges even $10,000) added or subtracted to the home price will have little effect on your monthly payment. Plus, asking price is often negotiable.
Ignore the decor.
Carpet, paint, wallpaper, plumbing fixtures and light fixtures are easy to change. Plus, the previous owner’s dirt, furniture and possessions won’t come with the house. Don’t reject a good house because it’s dirty or badly decorated.
Photo: Deposit Photos
I like to watch “House Hunters” because I like to look at the houses. But when you consider whether your actual experience of buying a house will be anything like what you see on TV, remember that the show skips over all the price negotiations, inspection issues and difficulties getting a home loan. Plus, most buyers look at more than three houses.
We hope that those viewers who have not yet bought a home realize that the process is a whole lot more complicated than what you see in a 30-minute TV show. But you can still learn something from seeing how other people look at houses, whether they are truly considering buying them or not.
