When looking for a property, it is natural to want to see as many as possible before making the "right" choice and common sense dictates that you should view a handful of alternatives before buying.   

Our job as professional estate agents is to help you arrive at a decision that’s right for you, your situation and your lifestyle. So, if you are struggling to balance the merits of No.33 with its new kitchen against No.16, with the better garden, here are some pointers which might help:

First, there is a place for instinct, and sometimes the heart should be allowed to influence, if not rule, the head. This is a home after all and not a stock-market share. Ask yourself the obvious question, "Could we be happy here?"

However, your head needs to agree with your heart. Is your favoured property a significant improvement on where you already live, or are you just being bowled over by a smart exterior or fashionable lighting?

Weigh up the important aspects of life –  commuting time, school run, parking, entertaining space (although do you really entertain that much?) Satisfy these first before allowing the view or the extra storage space to sway you away from your core reason for moving.

Finally, you can bet your bottom dollar that if you instinctively like a particular house, other buyers will as well. We usually find that a property that fills most people's needs, as opposed to their wants, will sell very quickly. The more you see, the more difficult it becomes to make a decision at all. So our advice is: decide your minimum criteria with your head and once these are satisfied in a property, let your heart take it from there. Why not ask us to show you a selection of properties so you can get a real feel for what’s available?

Peter Ryder

Managing Director

Thorntons Property