Rather than dismiss every home if it doesn’t meet every single one of your checkboxes, focus on the changes you can make so that it fits your needs. For example, rather than focusing on the tile that you absolutely hate, think of the bigger picture – the floor plan. Don’t get so caught up in what the house looks like that you forget to consider the location. You can’t move your home, so before you start looking at homes, decide the area based on the neighborhood, community, schools, local amenities, proximity to work, family and friends.

And if you’re serious about checking out the area before you move, or you aren’t sure you want to buy a new house right away, consider a small investment: try relocating on a trial basis. There are currently over 670 available apartments in Fort Worth, so that’s a great way to get to know the area before you commit to something bigger.

• Proof of income – W-2s, pay stubs, tax returns (from past two years)
• Proof of assets – Bank and account statements (to show you can afford down payment, closing costs, and future expenses)
• Proof of employment

Keep a paper or computer folder with copies of all the required documents to stay organized. It can be a confusing process at times, so don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t understand something.

After you’ve cleaned and decluttered, take a look at what repairs you could make, but hold off until you have a realtor give you the go-ahead. A realtor will be able to give an objective opinion as to what improvements are an absolute necessity and will also recoup the costs. Of course, you should go ahead and make the obvious repairs such as adding a fresh coat of paint or fixing the leaky faucet, but everything else should be run by your realtor first.