Before your first home tour
Bring a short list of essentials, notice natural light at different times of day, and ask which property facts have been independently verified.
Insights
Field notes on buying, selling and settling in — practical, sourced and free of hype.
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What makes a neighborhood feel like home?
Walk it at different times, try the commute you will actually make, and look for the everyday places you would use.
Prepare your home for its close-up
Clear surfaces, open the blinds and plan the order of rooms — small steps that help a photographer show the home well.
Building a shortlist that fits the way you live
A shortlist works best when it is short: decide what matters most, compare like with like and leave room to change your mind.
Renting before you buy: questions worth asking
Renting first can be a practical way to learn an area. A few questions help you compare leases fairly.
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From the archive
What to gather before you list
Documents, records of recent work and a realistic timeline make the first weeks of a sale calmer.