Why Buying a Home is Like Playing Pickleball

Buying a house in Charleston, SC, is like playing pickleball for the first time.

A few days ago, I sat down with Alisa Tolliver, co-owner of The Pickle Bar in Summerville, SC, for the Pelican Podcast. We talked a lot about how she got into the business, and how she went from thinking "nobody plays pickleball" to opening one of the Lowcountry's favorite hangouts.

And of course, we talked about pickleball. I'm not really a pickleball pro (Pelicans are, of course, better at diving than dinking), but the more I think about it, the more I realize how much it feels like buying a house.

Okay, bear with me here for a moment. A pickleball game only takes about 15 to 25 minutes. Not that large of a time commitment involved. You play, you take a break, you grab a drink, you go back to the court.

And unlike tennis, where you're forced to be locked in for an hour or more, pickleball lets you learn as you go in small, low-pressure chunks.

And I thought: that's exactly how buying a house should feel.

You Can Start Now

As we've mentioned in our post about buying a house in Charleston, SC, most first-time buyers have this misconception that they need to become real estate experts before they can begin.

So they spend months reading articles, watching YouTube videos, and scrolling Zillow at midnight… all before talking to a single human being.

And we get it. This is going to be one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make.. You don't want to make a mistake. It will impact your life- financially, mentally, socially, career-wise- in so many ways.

But the truth is that you will never feel fully ready. The people who wait until they know everything are usually still sitting there, stuck in analysis paralysis.

The better approach is to take small steps. Fifteen-minute moves. Each one teaches you something that no amount of deep research can replicate.

Here are seven quick moves that will get you closer to homeownership without overwhelming you.

Tour Just 3 Houses, Not 30

You don't need to start looking for "the one" at the get-go. Your first few tours are about calibrating what you want in a house, not finding the one you're going to buy.

You've probably got a mental list of all the features you want in your house. Three bedrooms, updated kitchen, big backyard. But until you walk through actual houses with these exact features, you don't really know how those things will feel in real life.

Maybe that open floor plan you decided you absolutely must have feels echoey and empty in person. And maybe that smaller home you initially wrote off from the listing feels just right for you.

So tour only three houses at first, preferably with a mix of styles, sizes, and price points. Pay attention to how the space makes you feel, not just ticking off features from your checklist.

Have a "Real" Conversation With a Lender

And speaking of checklists. Most people have a transactional relationship with lenders… you give documents, then they give you documents in return. Almost like vending machines.

But lenders are a great source of information that you're not going to get anywhere else. They see hundreds of buyers, and they're familiar with issues that trip people up.

So sit down with one for fifteen minutes and ask some real questions. What monthly payment would be comfortable for me? What could disqualify me? Are there things I can do in the next couple of months to get a better rate?

That short conversation might save you thousands of dollars, and a whole lot of headache down the line.

Check Out The HOA Before You Offer

You'd be surprised how many buyers get blindsided by "surprise" HOA restrictions after closing.

Make sure to ask the questions that could trip you up down the line. Can you rent the property out later if you need to? Are you allowed to park your truck in your own driveway? Can you paint your front door a color that isn't beige?

The HOA can either be a dealbreaker for you or a non-issue, but it's best to know before you're locked into a contract.

Google the Address Once

We're talking the exact address here, and not just the neighborhood it sits in.

Look at previous listings, news articles, permit history. You'd be surprised at what turns up. You might find that it sat on the market for 300 days a couple of years ago before the seller pulled it. Or maybe it got flooded back in 2015.

Most of this information the seller isn't required to disclose. But it's right there if you take fifteen minutes to Google.

Ask the Seller Questions

Where are they moving next? And why are they moving? You actually don't need to ask these yourself, your agent can find this out for you. And their answers might just help shape your offer strategy.

For example, a seller who's relocating for a new job that starts in three weeks definitely has different priorities and motivations than a seller who inherited the property and just wants to get rid of it. One is motivated by timeline, the other by convenience.

The seller's answers might help shape your offer strategy.

An example of how this might look like in A seller who's relocating for a job that starts in three weeks is not the same as a seller who inherited the property and just wants to get rid of it. One is motivated by timeline, the other by convenience.And small details like these can help give you a tiny bit of leverage when it's time to negotiate.

Check What the Listing Photos Don't Show You

Listing photos are designed to be as Instagrammable as possible. Good angles, good lighting, and all that. But of course there's a lot they don't show.

Water pressure, for example. Try to open every faucet. Flush the toilet while the shower's running. If it has low pressure, that's something you want to discover during the tour, not on your first morning in the house.

Try to ask for recent electric bills too. That grand older home with the big sunroom might look impressive, but cooling it in August might cost you an extra $400. Charleston summers are no joke, and it's better to know upfront.

The sounds. Stand still for a minute. Can you hear traffic noise from where you are? Barking dogs? A jet-engine HVAC?

It's amazing what you notice when you start paying attention to the stuff that's not staged.

Fifteen Minutes At A Time

Pickleball can seem confusing at first; it's like a mish-mash of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton after all. But once you play a few games, it clicks.

Buying a house is the same way. It seems overwhelming when you're standing outside looking in. But once you take those baby steps toward understanding, it starts to make sense faster than you'd expect.

You don't need to know everything. You just need to start.

Fifteen minutes at a time.

Want to learn more about buying your first home in Charleston? Check out our Complete Guide to Buying a House in Charleston or browse our Dictionary of Real Estate Terms.

And don't forget... we're giving a real estate seminar on Giving Tuesday, December 2nd at The Pickle Bar in Summerville with David Weekley Homes. Learn about new construction, meet your neighbors, and support Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Bring diapers (sizes 4-6), pull-ups, or wipes—your donation brings comfort and hope to a child in need.