What is a good time to go look at houses for purchase?

It must be acknowledged that this period is a slowdown for the real estate business, facing several challenges. These include the overall global economic situation, the Thai economy itself with high household debt levels causing banks to be cautious in lending, government measures to prevent illicit lending, and excessive price increases in some real estate properties.

In short, everyone is eager to sell right now. Therefore, don't be surprised to see some prices lower than last year, and there are numerous promotions that can be confusing.

But what we'll discuss today is the timing and the number of times you should visit a house before making a purchase decision, focusing on specific times of the day.

Keep this mantra in mind: "At least 5 times."

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First Time: Any time is fine, but make sure to thoroughly inspect the property. Don't just focus on your chosen project and competitors for comparison. After deciding on a project, consider several other factors:

• The surrounding environment, including any undesirable elements.
• Consider special landmarks within 200-300 meters of your house, such as temples (especially large ones). • And let's not even talk about religious sites of other religions), schools, sports fields (especially football fields), various activity areas, and people, which have both advantages and disadvantages, such as shopping malls.
• Public transportation systems. This sounds fancy, but it doesn't mean the BTS (Skytrain), but rather motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuks, minibuses, red buses, or anything you might need to use, or that people in your household might need to use to get to the main public transportation system when you're not driving. A more advanced option might be bicycle or motorcycle parking where you can leave your bike while you transfer to another mode of transport.

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Time #2: On important days or holidays, I highly recommend going. This doesn't mean you have to cancel your trips to other provinces or overseas. At least go on major Buddhist holidays and/or important festivals like Loy Krathong and Songkran. Just go and experience the atmosphere, and ask the locals when the events are held throughout the year.

If it's only 1-2 days a year, that's fine. But if it's held on every major Buddhist holiday and festival because it's a very popular temple in the area, then consider the crowd density, the noise level, and be prepared for it.

Sports stadiums or activity areas are another area to consider. Research how often activities are held there, whether it's consistently noisy, and until what time the lights are on. Shopping malls should also be visited on weekends, and importantly, consider the time you usually get home before closing.

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Time 3: Rush hour! This is equally important. If you're considering buying a house, try traveling from your home to work during your actual work hours and then returning to your new home after work. Observe the time and any available escape routes.

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Time 4: Late at night! Especially for houses in projects located on side streets, it's best to visit late at night. Invest a little time, perhaps as late as 9 PM. Plan your visit to include a meal at a nearby restaurant before returning to observe the surroundings. Is there a lot of parked car blocking the street? Is the location likely to attract suspicious or unsafe people?

Another thing to watch out for is proximity to nightlife venues such as pubs, bars, and restaurants with live music. Besides the noise issue, parking problems from customers and people eating extra for their dogs would also be annoying.

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Time #5: During heavy rain. This is something our older generations might have advised us to do as well. If you're not in a hurry and can wait until the rainy season, you absolutely must go out and check on the situation during heavy rain. Is the street flooding? What's the condition of the housing development? However, we also need to be considerate of the developers. What we need to check is whether the houses are sufficiently elevated. It's impossible to completely prevent flooding or water from pooling.

This doesn't mean you have to go five times, but you should gather information during these five different times to help you decide on buying a house. Maybe just one or two visits are enough if you can collect all the necessary data.

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It's not over yet! Because once we have all the information, what we need to consider is our own behavior. Are we the type of person who comes and goes from home at the usual times, or do we work irregular hours, anytime? Even more unusual is if we work late, sleeping during the day but waking up at night. In that case, living near a school is definitely not an option.

Buying a condo is probably similar, but we can't be complacent. I've seen condos almost near the BTS (Skytrain), but every morning between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, people in the building have to queue for motorcycle taxis in a line of almost 20 people. Many other things may not be as important as choosing a house.

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Finally! When choosing a house or condo, start with the location. Choose a location that minimizes the average commute time for everyone in the family, allowing them more time together. That's the "best location."

After that, take the time to consider other factors, what you can and cannot accept, and find the best option. Consider your budget and monthly expenses. Don't spend all your money on mortgage payments until you have no money left for family trips. Plan carefully, both in choosing the project and your finances.

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Thank you for the helpful information from HOME.