5 Signs You’re Ready to Buy a House

Do you fall asleep to the soothing sounds of neighbors stomping across your ceiling? Do you find yourself lost in the fantastical dream of dozing beneath your very own roof? Enjoying your very own backyard? Front steps? Washing machine? Hot water tank?

Then, do we have some good news for you! Turns out, you might just be ready to take the leap into homeownership – and what a rewarding leap that is. So how do you actually, truly, one hundred percent know when you’re finally ready to buy a house? Here’s a list of some sure-fire signs you just can’t deny.

1. You Know the Middle Names of All Your Neighbors

If you’ve lived in your current apartment, duplex or rental long enough to collect significant details on your neighbors’ lives, it is definitely time to move on. Habits can be hard to break, and the longer you have lived in one place, the more difficult it can be to pack up and leave. Things start to feel comfortable (a little too comfortable) and imagining yourself in a different setting might seem like a lot of work. This fear is actually a clear sign you are ready for a change of scenery. Don’t worry – you’ll know where to find your people should you need them; those old neighbors aren’t going anywhere (but you sure are)!

2. You Wander the Aisles of Home Depot for Fun

You’ve memorized the layout of the store and are on a first-name basis with most of the staff. You find yourself meandering the lighting section on random Tuesdays making mental lists of “just right” bathroom illumination. You turn giddy each time the glossy orange ad arrives in your letterbox. When window-shopping Home Depot has become your new favorite pastime, rest assured you are ready to find a home of your own.

3. Your Savings Account Has Grown Up

You might have graduated from a piggy bank to an actual bank years ago, but has your fiscal responsibility finally caught up to this change? If so, you are on the track to homeownership. When your savings account matures from random $10 deposits to regularly scheduled, significant percentages of your paycheck, you are closer to buying a house than you think. Making the shift from unstable emergency funds to substantial savings is the biggest hurdle. Once you have figured out a way to secure your savings and continuously build that amount, you are ready to get serious about real estate.

4. You’ve Done the Math

How do you really know you intend to purchase a home in the near future? You’ve already done the math. Folks who are legitimately interested in purchasing a property will sit down and punch the numbers to see how realistic that property is. Maybe you’ve scratched some prices down with pen and paper or maybe you have taken that next step and bounced around budgets in a mortgage calculator. Whichever route you’ve chosen, if you are fully immersed in the numbers game, you are well on your way to taking the purchase plunge.

5. You’re Already Looking

The final and most apparent sign that you are ready to buy a house? You’ve already got one in mind. Renters cruising Realtor.com and Zillow all hours of the day and night are one phone call away from a moving van. If you have saved searches and specific filters programmed into your favorite real estate app, it is only a matter of time before that much anticipated house-warming party (and you know you already have that menu planned, too). You can already taste those meatballs and crockpot potatoes, can’t you?

As much as you have grown accustomed to the neighbor’s Friday night renditions of Riverdance followed by their Saturday morning arguments, you don’t have to live that life forever. Greener pastures and quieter living spaces really do await those willing to see the signs they’re ready to buy a house. The best news? That bright green backyard full of peace and quiet you have been waiting on is finally ready for you, too!