How Many Homes Should I Tour Before I Place an Offer?

When you start your home search, you might feel completely overwhelmed. Buying a home is likely the most expensive purchase you'll ever make, so it's no surprise that you should take your time and consider as many options as possible before you sign the paperwork.

You might be tempted to make an offer on the first place you see. Or, you might be someone who wants to hold off until you find that perfect house. According to Realtor.com, the average number falls somewhere in the middle with potential homebuyers visiting 10 homes within 10 weeks before they find "the one" and make an offer.

There are no hard and fast rules about how many homes you should visit before making an offer, but thanks to technology, you can look at hundreds of homes easily online. View as many as you can before scheduling an in-person viewing so you're not wasting anyone's time if you're not serious about the home.

To help you narrow down your options, make a list of items that are "must haves." These items might include commute time, school districts, number of bedrooms, and number of stories.

Once you're ready to start seeing homes in-person, try to view only three to five homes in a day. Anything more than that will give you information overload. If nothing stands out, take a break and visit more another day. After you view about 10 to 15 homes, you should have a good idea what you can afford in your price range.

After you make a list of "must haves" and do some preliminary research online, you should be ready to visit some homes in-person. To help you navigate the home buying process and find that dream home, reach out to a trusted real estate professional.

Sources: Themortgagereports.com, Setschedule.com, Realtor.com