Imagine seeing your new home for the first time AFTER you’ve committed to rent or a mortgage. In reality, this is the true nature of the military. Sometimes, you just can’t make it to your new duty station or forever home before committing your next few years to living there. These four tips will help you survive virtual house hunting and minimize your stress in the process.

Military life is unlike anything else. Whether you are active duty, separated or retiring, some of our needs as military families are only fit for a real estate agent who understands our unique circumstances. Finding a real estate agent that you can trust is one of the most important steps in the process. If you are virtual house hunting, you will need your realtor to view the home for you, assess damages or minor issues, and consider your family’s space needs. There’s nothing worse than arriving at a new home only to realize that it’s not what you need or expected.

Tip: Ask your realtor to conduct a virtual chat with you such as Facetime or Skype. This is not a perfect solution but it will give you a better perspective of the new home space and can do a better job than pictures.

Home searching is such a personal experience, but sometimes you have to call in reinforcements.  Do you have a close friend, relative or someone you trust in the area in which you’re moving to? If so, be sure to call on them to review your new home in your absence. Go a step further and ask them to take important measurements for you. It’s crucial that your furniture fits in the house, which is sometimes hard to accomplish with moving so frequently.

Tip: Don’t have a network in your new area? Simply ask the seller or management company for a copy of the blueprint and square footage. This can solve most problems with measurements.