The ‘perfect property’ is a myth – here’s how to know you’ve found your next home

These tactics will help you scope the market and benchmark your options

Buying a property is the largest financial commitment most of us will undertake, and I regularly see buyers paralysed by their fear of making a mistake. 
The pressure to find “the one” can be overwhelming, and buyers tend to go one of two ways. 
They can either become completely fixated on a single property, to the extent that they will do almost anything to secure it, or they fall victim to indecision, unable to commit to a property for fear that something better might hit the market next week.
So, how do you know when to go for it or when to hold out for something better?
For every client we work with, regardless of whether they’re just embarking on a property search or have been actively searching themselves for several months without success, our starting point is always an “orientation tour”. 
This consists of us thoroughly searching the market and showing them typically between eight and 12 properties back-to-back, each hand-picked to demonstrate an example of every property type that could be available to them across their budget and areas they’re considering.
If you’re searching yourself, try to cluster viewings across one day if possible. It requires a lot of organisation to arrange this if several different selling agents are involved, but it will pay off as having all of the viewings one after the other makes it much easier to compare and contrast between them.
Even for those buyers who have been searching the market for some time, this approach takes a deliberate one step backwards to take three steps forward, as the context is absolutely critical in enabling an informed and confident decision to be made about what you really want – and what is possible.
By the end of a full viewing day, you should have a much clearer idea of the types of properties that exist within budget, and which ones tick the most boxes. 
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Once you know what’s possible and which characteristics are most important, you can hone in your search and become more targeted.
Giving yourself a much smaller focus should eliminate the chance of missing out on a new property, or unrealistically thinking something drastically better is going to come up when a great option is already in front of you. 
We’ve worked with numerous clients who – before retaining us to help – had found properties they really liked but didn’t have the confidence to secure them. It meant that selling agents often pushed them to the back of the queue, believing they weren’t ready to buy. 
In fact, they’d needed structure to their search process and reassurance on their options to enable them to make such a big commitment with confidence.
If you know what’s realistically possible, and you’re clear on what is important (which is not always in line with what you believed at the start of your search), when the right property does come up, you are more likely to recognise it and trust your gut.
And the more informed and clear you are on what you’re looking for, as long as it’s realistic, the more the selling agents will push you to the top of their list of potential buyers to call when the right property comes up. 
When you’re narrowing down your search requirements, make sure you’re not being seduced by a particular standout feature.
One client of ours searching in Fulham fell in love with a rare listed Georgian property we showed them, which stood out versus the mostly Victorian housing stock in the area. 
However, the accommodation didn’t work for the family’s future needs. They were blindsided by the charm of the house, so we helped bring objectivity by showing other options and constructively challenging them to think about future use, in addition to the here and now. 
We found and secured them a compromise, which was a unique Victorian corner house. It was more unusual than most houses in the area, and gave them the practical space and charm they wanted.
If you’re drawn to a particular feature that’s pulling on your heartstrings, but there are major drawbacks to the property in other ways, consider whether it could be recreated in another property that better suits your needs. 
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Equally, don’t become so objective you shut the emotion out. One private equity client we worked with was so numbers driven that his entire property search was powered by a spreadsheet and an obsession with price per square foot. He had lost sight of what he was actually looking for, and why.
Going back to basics, we set up a property tour where our instructions to him were to view the properties with an open mind and see which ones triggered an emotional response – and to leave his spreadsheet at home. 
Once he had brought some emotion back in, we made quick progress and identified a property he genuinely loved – and only at that point did we bring values and negotiation opportunity back into the conversation.
Once you’re clear on what you want, sometimes it’s a waiting game. Ideally you start your search with enough time to do your research and wait for the right property. If searching alone (that is, without a buying agent) I usually recommend starting a property search nine to 12 months before you want to buy and move in. If using a buying agent, six months should be sufficient.
With family houses, you may need to start earlier, as we’re seeing more and more sellers requesting delayed six-month completions. So, be prepared that you might not get the keys straight away. 
You will need to factor that into your timescales, and you might be able to use it to your advantage too. 
We have secured many discounts as a result of being able to show flexibility with completion dates, where the seller has chosen to accept our lower offer in return for agreeing to let them stay and enjoy their last Christmas in the house or until their children finish exams before completing.
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Searching for a property is an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s important to try and make sure you don’t let it get to the point where you’re so exhausted by the process you might settle for less. 
We’ve had clients come to us where they have been searching for so long they were on the verge of committing to a purchase just to get it over and done with so they could move on with life.
We were appointed by one client who came to us following more than two years of exhaustively searching the market. His wife was so fatigued by the endless viewings and lack of decision making that it was putting major stress on their marriage and family life. 
After taking them back to basics, we quickly identified the right property and they were able to commit with confidence and renewed emotion for the purchase. They were both so relieved that the husband likened it to being able to come off dating websites and finally get married! 
Sometimes it’s worth taking a step back from endless Rightmove scrolling and weekend viewings to recalibrate and resume your search a month or two later with a fresh perspective and energy. 
Providing you’ve done your groundwork and you’re mindful of the pitfalls above, you should be in a position to embrace the process and be confident in your decision.