Buying and selling a home Zen style will bring success

Over the years, I've watched a lot of people buying and selling homes, from both professional and personal perspectives, having been through the process several times around the UK, and abroad.

As such, I've watched a lot of human behaviour and I've seen or felt myself virtually every emotion. Frustration at the seemingly endless search through properties when they don't seem to fit a descriptive criteria;

excitement when a property starts to tick all the boxes; joy when a property gets beyond ‘exchange of contracts' and the reality of a change of lifestyle strikes; anger when a buyer or seller behaves in a manner someone thinks is plain unfair; puzzlement when really clear messages seem to have landed in a different way.

Now, I don't want to get all philosophical, but I've decided that there is a certain mindset that makes for success in the heady world of buying and selling homes. This Zen like state has three characteristics, which I shall call the Rational Mind; Thinking Big and Focusing on the Future.

Everything about buying or selling a property can tend to make everyone really hooked on their emotions and can run the risk of irrational decision making. Whilst people can and do fall in love with their homes at first sight, it's generally not the case. The stresses and strains of the entire process tend to switch off considered thinking and people do silly things. I've seen people make offers on houses that just don't fit their family requirements (frustration), turn down offers that really make the grade (sometimes anger, often greed).

So, whether you're a buyer or seller, make a list of your needs and keep looking at it!  What are your objectives? You might want to express these financially, always with timescales attached and with a very clear