Using My Planner to Survive the House Hunt

Back in October we made the decision to become home owners. As first time buyers everything is supposed to be exciting right? That's what all the films tell us. Excitedly we drew up a list of things we needed: cleaning supplies, crockery , linens whilst filling our diaries with viewings.

Unfortunately, this seemed to be where the fairytale ended. Months on and we're still looking... The problem with nice houses tends to be you're not the only one who wants to live there. Competition has been fierce, thank goodness for my filofax!

I've learnt to take my planner in with me, not in my bag but actually in my arms. I could be wrong but it makes an impression. You're organised and prepared: the agent takes you seriously. 

Inside I write down my questions: exactly how old is that boiler? Why does the kitchen smell like feet? I make a note of the answers inside, I'm only likely to forget later on. 

I also make sure the agent can see we've got other viewings booked so we're not going to be pushed into anything. Whilst most agents are very good, we have unfortunately come across some who play dirty which is really heartbreaking first time round.

I also like that I can punch the particulars and stick them right in there with my notes. Certainly keeping everything together is massively helpful, plus I can draw on these things to make comparisons between properties too.

As the search continues the system seems to evolve, so I'm confident we'll find our forever home soon. Now just to watch out for those crazy over asking price offers!