Looking for a home isn’t like looking for an apartment. There is no landlord to fix the leaky faucet, and you have carte blanch to change and remodel how you please. You’re not signing up for a six-month lease, either. The goal is to settle down and create some roots. A house is a major life change.

So when it comes time to seriously look at some houses, it’s important to take your time and not feel pressured by the seller or realtor. One of the most common ways they will try and get you to hurry is by saying they already have someone interested in the house or that there has been an offer on the house.

They want you to panic and feel like if you don’t act, then you are going to lose the opportunity. If they do have an offer and you miss out, it’s no big deal. There are literally thousands of houses on the market. If you miss that one, then it’s no big deal. It may seem perfect, but two months down the line, there may be another house that fits you even better.

Start out by picking the neighborhoods and areas that you are interested in moving to. Each neighborhood likely has a variety of prices available, and you make the job easier for the realtor if you are able to pin down some areas.

You should see many houses before you make a decision. The house you choose must be a balance of beauty, price and neighborhood. Does it fit in your price range? Is there enough room for an expanded family? What’s the crime like in the neighborhood? Are the schools any good?

Most of you will likely go through a realtor, because they have a listing of many houses available and can help you in the buying process. Don’t discount the For Sale By Owners, as well. Some people don’t like using realtors or are exploring the idea of selling their home, but haven’t really committed. You would be buying it directly from the owners, which has advantages and disadvantages. They are often not listed with many places, so you have to drive around to find it or scour the newspapers. They also aren’t accounting for a 10 percent takeaway from a realtor, so they might be more willing to lower the price.

The most important lesson is to take your time and shop around. If you don’t see anything you like on the first pass, then wait a few weeks or months and do it all over again. You may lose one or two that you really liked because of waiting, but you will also not get stuck with a money pit, either.

Related posts:

1. Buying a Home: Emotion Versus Common Sense
2. Buying a Home: How to Avoid the Fixer-Upper From Hell
3. A Guide for Choosing and Buying the Right Tools

I remember when I was in college and was looking for an apartment to rent on a budget, and I was very disappointed by the choices offered. I grew up in a house that had several rooms, and everything in my price range had one room with a communal kitchen. I could have just stayed in the dorm if I wanted that.

After what seemed like forever, I was shown a basement apartment that had a bedroom, living room and a kitchen. It seemed spacious and even had electricity included. It was a little higher rent than what I wanted, but I felt like this was the best that was out there. I walked in and simply said, “I’ll take it.”

It wasn’t a home yet, but I definitely felt it was the right decision. I was wrong. If I had let my common sense take over, I may have thought about the problems associated with a basement apartment. I discovered the first problem when I was moving in. The stairs to the basement were very narrow, and I couldn’t fit any large furniture down it. That meant no couch and no bed bigger than a twin.

The basement is also where all the water and sewer backups happen. Luckily, I didn’t find this out, because the drain wasn’t in my half of the basement, but my neighbor had several inches of sludge in his apartment one day.

The apartment was scorching in the summer and freezing in the winter. After about a year, I had realized the importance of letting my mind and not my heart rule my decision. That doesn’t mean that I think home buying should be a cold, heartless process. The heart is very important, but it must be offset with your head. The heart will see the big picture and ignore the little imperfections and thoughts, but your head won’t.

Your heart lives in the now and doesn’t think about seasons and weather issues, rodents and snakes. (Yes, I had snakes in my first apartment.) My second apartment was bigger than the first and was a bargain. I spent weeks searching for it and made sure my head and heart balanced.

Buying a home should be the same way. Your heart may sing at the Victorian or old colonial with the original woodwork, but you mind will ask about heating, wiring and foundation. Listen to both, but know that your head really has your best interest at heart.

Related posts:

1. Buying a Home: How to Avoid the Fixer-Upper From Hell
2. Buying a Home: You Better Shop Around… a Lot
3. Home on the Rage: Country Versus City Living

I can’t help but praise a weather pattern that necessitates exercise: think of snow as the best calorie busting weather you could ask for since shoveling your sidewalk or clearing your car while wearing an extra 20 pounds in clothing really makes you feel the burn.

My recommendation: If you have back problems, heart problems, a lot of little kids, or a very hectic and stressful job situation, you want to make clearing your weather blockades as simple as possible: get the snow blower. If you live in a very, very snowy region and have been loyal to your shovel for years, think about a snow blower if you find shoveling too time consuming. If you live in a fair weather area with occasional heavy snow storms, the occasional workout of shoveling will do you more good than harm.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/acidcookie/156795572

Related posts:

1. Snow Blower Deal: Top Rated Snowthrower at Ace Hardware!
2. The Ups and Downs of Using Snow Throwers
3. Winter Wonderland: Snow Shovel Shenanigans

A great way to add color and unexpected charm to your home is with a window planter or two. These hanging flower beds are such an easy way to spruce up the exterior of a house that it’s a wonder they’re not more popular. I say be the first on your block, and it won’t be long before they start popping up all over your neighborhood.

Finding the right window planter for your home should be fairly simple. Decide on a window, take some measurements and choose accordingly. Consider the style of your home when choosing, since you’ll want to pick a window box that won’t look out of place. Here are some examples of styles.

Redwood Windowbox, $23.99- $61.99 (24″-72″)

CobraCo Adjustable Horse Trough Planter, $29.99

Grandin Road Charleston Planter, $149

Wentworth Window Box, $109

To get more window planter tips

Once you’ve found the flower bed that’s right for you, and hung it securely, the next step is to start planting. Choose flowers, herbs and plants of different hues that will compliment the color of your home. Hint: if your house is neutral, you can plant wildly colorful flowers and plants to add punch.

Here are a few tips:
-Make sure the box has proper drainage, and
make double sure the water is not draining on
your house–after a while, it will cause damage.
-Line the box with a layer of charcoal or
styrofoam peanuts to ensure proper
drainage.
-Fill the box with your preferred soil.
-After wetting the soil completely, add seeds or
plants.
-Fertilize regularly and keep soil moist,
remembering that window planter gardens
dry out more quickly that gardens planted in
the ground.

Related posts:

1. Window Boxes for Small Spaces
2. Soil pH: A Tricky Concept
3. How to Start a Flower Garden in Five Steps