Searching for a house can be quite overwhelming. Keep in mind that most of the homes you see won’t be what you’re looking for. We spoke with local real estate agent, Darrell Don, on how to avoid the five most common house hunting mistakes.

1. Don’t just pick up the phone, call the number on the sign, and go by yourself. Let your Realtor do his job; if you drive by an interesting property your Realtor hasn’t mentioned to you, call your Realtor with the property address and phone number from the sign, and let his research the asking price and property details, nine times out of 10, your Realtor hasn’t sent it to you because the property doesn’t meet one or more of your search criteria.

2. Avoid taking separate cars on your buyer’s tours. Every once in awhile a hot property will come up, your Realtor will call you from work, and you can meet his there. If you are going to be driving from house to house, get in the car with your Realtor — even if it means you have to put the baby seat in your Realtor’s car. This way, you don’t get separated, no one gets lost, and you can spend the time between houses debriefing and providing your Realtor with the feedback he needs to narrow your search and hone in on your home.

3. Don’t plan something for two hours later. You don’t want to rush, you want to linger where necessary. Plus, if you find one you really like, you might spend more time there. And, with drive time, etc., it can easily take three hours to see seven houses – not to mention that you may find one you want to immediately write an offer on, which will take another hour or so.

4. Hold the trash talk. Sellers may be listening. And they don’t always understand that it’s the most interested buyers who pick the place apart to figure out exactly what they will need to do to it to make it theirs. If you end up in a multiple offer situation, you don’t want to have an uphill battle because you badmouthed the sequined butterfly “artwork” the seller had hanging in the hallway.

5. Don’t hesitate to look in drawers, cupboards and closets. If you really dislike a place, you needn’t get really detailed in your viewing of a property. But if you don’t hate it, you should open every door. If you really like a place, you should also open kitchen and bathroom drawers, cupboards and cabinets. You’re not being nosy, you’re gathering information. Rest assured that the sellers have had ample notice to straighten up those spaces in anticipation of your poking around.

For more information on architectural homes, lots and condos visit Darrell Done at www.darrelldone.com.