Tips to Avoid Home Search Fatigue for Tenants

Written by: Benjienen Toledo

Were there times when you don’t feel motivated to do home searching? Or perhaps, times when you wish that you do not need to move to a new home at all?

You might be suffering from home search fatigue!

My husband and I have been working in Singapore for 5 years now and together we have gone through 6 different landlords. So I guess, you can say that we are relatively good at property searches. We have to admit, home rental in Singapore is especially convenient with the numerous property listing platforms available.

We begin our search for a new home rental three months before our Tenancy Agreement expires. There are times when we get lucky and solve it within a week or two. But no matter how long you’ve been hunting, home search fatigue feels the same-exhausting and unmotivating. Avoid this phenomenon through these simple tips:

1. Define Your Non-Negotiable Criteria

One of ours is the kitchen. We need a home where we can cook whenever we want, however we want it. However, some homeowners or landlords have their concerns as well and specify that only light cooking is allowed. This way, I automatically strike off those property listings.

Define your home rental criteria and only consider homes that conform with your list, this speeds up your home search process.

Here are a few questions you need to answer:

• Budget: What is the maximum that you are willing to pay for monthly rental?
• Location: Where do you want to move? Is it along the East-West MRT Line or along the Circle Line? Is it at the North, East, West or within CBD?
• Size: How many rooms do you need in your new home? Do you want 2 bathrooms? Do you need a master bedroom or are you fine with just a common rooms?

2. Utilise Property Listings Sites with Advanced Filters

Property listing sites are not created equal. Some sites bombard you with property listing details without any filtering capability. Rental listings sites with advanced filtering will aid you in this, saving you time & energy in flipping through pages of home listings which do not interest you. Apply your non-negotiable criteria and start the hunt.
I open a maximum of 10 potential home listings in new tabs, closing tabs immediately if it doesn’t qualify my criteria; then I move on.

Check: How to be a 5-Star Tenant in Singapore

3. Set Limitations and Shortlist

Limiting your daily home search can be done in two ways:

Set a maximum number of home listings you will browse in one sitting or in batches

I can browse 10 rental listings per batch or a maximum of 30 each night. If I find a home rental suitable, I bookmark it or add it to my favourites for shortlisting. The Ohmyhome mobile app has an in-app Favourites function – simply tap the heart ‚ô° icon at the upper right corner of the listing and it will save your choice of home listings for easier reference.

Allocate an hour or two per day for your home search

Do not let your home search get in the way of your work or family life. Schedule your home searching to condition your mind and not let it become a disruption to your daily activities. I usually do my searching between 9pm and 10pm after I have completed all my tasks for the day. Set an alarm if needed so you will not exceed your allocated time as time is money.

Check: Foreigner’s Guide to Renting in Singapore

4. Schedule a Day for Home Viewings or Attend Open Houses

Dispersed home viewing schedules are ineffective; it consumes your time, energy and money. For the past 5 years, we practised scheduling 2-3 viewings a day to be more efficient. Doing so allowed us to easily recall the best and worst parts of the properties we were comparing, and we have fresh insights to aid our decision making.

Ohmyhome app has an Open House feature which you can use during your shortlisting stage. You might have noticed some highlighted rental or for sale listings with open house schedules. Check them out to save time in connecting with the owners to arrange a separate viewing schedule. You may just show up at their properties on the Open House dates and times, and view it to your heart’s pleasure!

5. Shout it Out

With the use of technology in the property industry, or proptech, home searching has never been simpler. Now, home searchers can post their requirements through Ohmyhome app while the homeowners discover what buyers and tenants are looking for and take initiative to reach out to them instead.

If you are home searching, try ShoutOut‚Ñ¢. If you are a homeowner, browse through ShoutOut‚Ñ¢ and you may just find your next buyer or tenant there. I have started using ShoutOut‚Ñ¢ in my home rental search and will be moving into our 7th address in the next month to come!

Home search fatigue sets in when home searchers or tenants become saturated with information and graphics from property listings which paralyse them from continuing with the hunt. Home search fatigue is REAL and this could ultimately affect your ability to make the best property selection.

I hope these tips will improve your home search experience so it does not become exhausting. It will help avoid draining your attention and energy from your priorities.
Careful planning and the use of the right technology ensures that home searching does not compete with your time. Enjoy the journey and don’t rush when it comes to choosing the best home rental where you can create happy memories with your family.