# Make a Home Wish List Before Your First Showing

By Julie Mock (@juliemock) · Published 2026-10-23

Canonical: https://voce.com/@juliemock/make-home-wish-list-first-showing-8zxsjq

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It is easy to fall for a staged kitchen and forget the long drive to work. A short, written wish list keeps you focused. Write it before you tour, then score each home against it before you leave the driveway.

Start with one sentence about why you are moving. Then make five choices:

-   **Setting:** in town, a newer subdivision, the country or near the coast.
    
-   **Home type:** a house, a townhome or condo, new construction, or land to build on later.
    
-   **Price range:** based on a lender preapproval, not a guess.
    
-   **Size:** the bedrooms, baths, storage and yard you truly need.
    
-   **Style:** one story, a porch or a certain look, kept short.
    

Next, sort every item into three groups. Must-haves are things you cannot change later, such as location and lot size. Nice-to-haves are things you can add, such as paint or a fence. Deal breakers are things you will not accept, such as a long commute or a flood zone.

If two people are buying together, each person should write a list. Where the lists match, you have your search filters. Where they differ, talk it through before you book showings.

**Read the full guide:** [Build Your Home Wish List Before You Start Touring](https://www.southeastgarealestate.com/blog/Build+Your+Home+Wish+List+Before+You+Start+Touring?utm_source=voce&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=2026-10_voce_syndication&utm_content=build-your-home-wish-list) on SoutheastGaRealEstate.com, with more detail, a FAQ and local home searches.

Text **TOURING** to 912-420-1663 to get Julie's open house and touring checklist.

_Julie Mock, REALTOR®, Georgia license #430345, Weichert, Realtors® – Webb & Associates, 95 Bel-Air Dr., Statesboro, GA 30461. Call or text 912-420-1663. This article is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Brokerage office 912-764-9722. Each Weichert® franchised office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity._