5 Things I Learned Buying Our Dream House

What I Learned Buying a House

Buying a house is such a wild ride. It’s exciting, stressful, and honestly, a little overwhelming at times. When we were in the middle of it all, I kept thinking, “Why does no one tell you this part?!” So I thought I’d share some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way.

1. Have Your Non-Negotiables (and Stick to Them)

Before we started looking, we made a list of the things we absolutely had to have in a house. It was tempting to bend those rules when we saw something “almost perfect,” but I’m so glad we didn’t. That list kept us grounded and helped us stay focused on what we really needed.....AND wanted. So many times we would have made an offer on a house that didn't meet our list, BUT I'm so thankful we stayed true to what was important to us. For us, we had a good kitchen and good parking at the top of our list.....and beauty. Darin and I have a huge heart for beauty and I know we live in dusty ol' west Texas, be it as it may, it's important for us to be around beauty in our home.

2. Be Patient—The Right House Will Come

This was probably the hardest part for us. When you’ve been looking for a while, it’s easy to feel like you should just settle. But we waited…and waited…and waited...and because of that, we ended up with our dream home at the perfect price. We even landed way below our budget, which felt like such a win. Looking back, I’m convinced patience was key.

3. Don’t Max Out Your Budget

This one is huge. Just because the bank says you qualify for a certain number doesn’t mean you should spend it all. We set a budget that felt comfortable for our life and stuck to it. Having some breathing room in your finances makes homeownership feel a lot less stressful. Now that we are ACTUALLY homeowners, we are so glad we did this part. There are already things we are needing and wanting for the house and since we didn't max out, we are able to afford these things without having to save for months (or years). As tempting as it was to max out our loan and get a house that was too much house for us, I'm glad we didn't do that! Wisdom is key on this house hunting journey!

4. Your Realtor Matters (Big Time)

We found this out the hard way. After putting in an offer, we quickly realized we had the wrong realtor. By then it was too late to switch. The whole process made me wish we had trusted our gut earlier. Your realtor should be your advocate, not just someone unlocking doors for you. At the end of our homeowning experience, we were our own advocates. This part was so hard, but thankfully we knew God was fighting for us and in all reality HE was our advocate. Thank You Jesus!

5. Taxes Matter More Than You Think

I’ll admit, I didn’t pay much attention to taxes at first. But wow, they can really change what your monthly payment looks like. Don’t skip over them when you’re running numbers; they can make or break whether a house actually fits your budget. We ended up not buying a house in the small town we initially wanted because of that, and that's ok. We're just thankful we found our dream home at a price that works for us and paying attention to taxes was key for this.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, buying a house is so much more than a transaction, it’s finding a home that fits your life. For us, being patient, knowing what we wanted, and staying realistic with money made all the difference. Now, every time I walk through the door, I’m reminded it was all worth it.