Are you getting ready to buy your first home? Congrats! What a crazy and exciting time!

But here's the thing. Just like most things in life, if you’ve never done it before, it can be pretty overwhelming. The good news is I've guided countless homeowners through the process, and I'm convinced the key to kicking overwhelm to the curb is preparation, preparation, preparation!

In fact, time and time again, I've seen that the more prepared my clients are, the less stressful the process turns out to be. Want a home-buying journey like that? DM me - I'd love to talk!

In the meantime, here's a kickstart guide that will give you a few steps to think through as you move towards your very first home sweet home:

- Get your credit score ready. The higher your score, the better loan terms you’ll get.
- Estimate your price range by playing around with one of the zillion home affordability calculators online. 
- Narrow down your ideal location, but stay flexible and have several locations in mind.
- Save for your down payment. If you haven’t started, do it now!
- Get a mortgage pre-approval. This will give you hard numbers and help you stay ahead of the competition.
- Find the right agent. Ask around if you need to; it’s important to work with an experienced professional who you know has your best interest in mind.

Can I be real for a second? I’ve shown A LOT of homes, and can I just say that one of the BEST, BEST, BEST things you can do as a seller is oh-so-simply but incredibly underrated. It's this:

Clean. Yep. Clean. You'd be shocked at the number of homes I show that simply aren’t clean. So, if you’re getting your home ready for the market and stressing about showings, my biggest piece of advice is this: Do a top-to-bottom deep clean of your house before it hits the market. Even if you have to hire it out, do it. It's worth every penny!

After cleaning, here are a few other things to keep in mind as you prepare for a showing... 

Are you getting ready to buy your first home? Congrats! What a crazy and exciting time!

But here's the thing. Just like most things in life, if you’ve never done it before, it can be pretty overwhelming. The good news is I've guided countless homeowners through the process, and I'm convinced the key to kicking overwhelm to the curb is preparation, preparation, preparation!

In fact, time and time again, I've seen that the more prepared my clients are, the less stressful the process turns out to be. Want a home-buying journey like that? DM me - I'd love to talk!

In the meantime, here's a kickstart guide that will give you a few steps to think through as you move towards your very first home sweet home:

- Get your credit score ready. The higher your score, the better loan terms you’ll get.
- Estimate your price range by playing around with one of the zillion home affordability calculators online. 
- Narrow down your ideal location, but stay flexible and have several locations in mind.
- Save for your down payment. If you haven’t started, do it now!
- Get a mortgage pre-approval. This will give you hard numbers and help you stay ahead of the competition.
- Find the right agent. Ask around if you need to; it’s important to work with an experienced professional who you know has your best interest in mind.

Can I be real for a second? I’ve shown A LOT of homes, and can I just say that one of the BEST, BEST, BEST things you can do as a seller is oh-so-simply but incredibly underrated. It's this:

Clean. Yep. Clean. You'd be shocked at the number of homes I show that simply aren’t clean. So, if you’re getting your home ready for the market and stressing about showings, my biggest piece of advice is this: Do a top-to-bottom deep clean of your house before it hits the market. Even if you have to hire it out, do it. It's worth every penny!

After cleaning, here are a few other things to keep in mind as you prepare for a showing...