How to Prepare for Your House Hunting Trip

If you’re a military member who has been posted to a new city, you’ve probably already started thinking about your house hunting trip (HHT).

The goal of an HHT is to help you find (and buy) the perfect home before you actually move, allowing you to focus on getting settled in your new city when you finally arrive.

That said, searching for a new home can be overwhelming, especially if you’re relocating to an unfamiliar place. But with the right planning (and right help), your HHT will be enjoyable and successful.

As Ottawa real estate agents who specialize in supporting military families, we know what it takes to make a smooth transition. In this blog post, we’re sharing our top tips on how to prepare for your upcoming house hunting trip.

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Find a Team That Understands Your Needs

The best place to start preparing for your house hunting trip is by partnering with a real estate agent who specializes in military relocations. There are countless logistics involved in buying a home, but there are even more in a military relocation. That’s why you want to work with a professional who understands your unique needs as a CAF member, like us.

Creating a Plan

To ensure an efficient, productive house hunting trip, you’ll need to confirm several key details in advance. You will meet virtually with an agent from our team to discuss your posting, Change of Strength (COS) date, and confirmed working location. If you haven’t already verified the exact dates of your HHT, you’ll do that too.

From there, you’ll go over a wide range of personal details to help us understand what you and your family need in a new home. Some of these items will include your budget, non-negotiables, neighbourhood preferences, family factors, and any other details that may be relevant to your move.

Be Ready to Take Action

HHTs go by fast, and the first couple of days are usually top-loaded. Once you touch down in your new city, you’ll want to be as efficient with your time as possible. This requires some mental preparation.

You’ll be seeing a number of homes (potentially 20+) in a very short period of time. When you find one that checks most (or all) of the boxes, you’ll need to act quickly. If you’re not properly prepared, things can become stressful fairly quickly.

This is another area where our professional expertise is helpful. We’re here to provide an unemotional, pragmatic perspective to help ensure you’re making the right decision based on your needs.

Searching for more catch all advice on buying real estate in Ottawa? Explore these related blog posts.

Get in Touch Key Contacts

Buying a house requires support from other industry professionals besides your real estate agent. Before you leave for your house hunting trip, get in touch with your lawyer and if needed, your mortgage broker. Let them know the dates of your HHT so that they’re prepared to help on short notice.

If you don’t have a specific lawyer or broker that you prefer to work with, we can refer you to one as your agent.

You’ll Never Feel Pressured

With so many logistics and variables at play (posting dates, possession timelines, etc.), sometimes the timing of a home purchase simply doesn’t work out. Should this happen, we’ll shift our focus to finding temporary housing, exploring alternative possession timelines, and other solutions that ensure you’re still able to make a smooth transition.

One thing is for certain: You’ll never be pressured into buying a house you don’t love just because you’re running short on time. We’re here to support you in the long term, whatever that may look like.

Selling Your Current Home

Finally, we strongly recommend initiating the sale of your current home (if you’re already a homeowner) before you leave for your house hunting trip. Selling first gives you greater financial clarity and can make it easier to coordinate a true door-to-door move. It can also make it easier to acquire financing for your next home.

Connect With Pelletier Real Estate Team

Preparing for your house hunting trip? We can help!

As local Ottawa real estate agents who have been on both sides of military moves, we’re proud to offer a full-service approach that encompasses every last detail of your move. Taking into account your timeline, family dynamics, goals, and lifestyle needs, we understand exactly what you need in a new home and community as a service member. We’ll help you find a great place in as little time as possible.

Posted to Ottawa? Our specialized expertise can help you make a smooth transition. Reach our team at 613-909-4565 or contact@pelletierteam.ca.

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