Big Decisions 8 min read
Should You Buy a House in 2026?
A decision framework for buy-vs-wait in 2026. Two honest sides of the argument, then the lines that separate a smart buyer from a stuck one.
Templates for Homebuyers.
A curated set of 11 spreadsheets — and the guides that go with them — for the people about to make the largest purchase of their life. Score every house you tour, compare buy-vs-rent honestly, model what one extra payment a year actually does, and have an inventory ready before the moving truck arrives.
The decisions agents won't make for you
Your real-estate agent shows you houses. Your lender quotes you a rate. Neither one tells you which of the four houses you toured last weekend was actually the best fit for your commute, your renovation budget, and your tolerance for the school district. The templates in this collection cover the part of the home-buying decision that nobody else is doing for you: weighted comparisons that survive emotional weekends, mortgage math you can edit yourself, and the post-close inventory most owners only build after a claim.
The reading list below pairs with the templates — including the five-minute affordability check that filters most "stretch" houses before they break your savings rate.
Recommended templates
Spreadsheets for the largest purchase of your life
11 templates
House search, decision helpers, mortgage payoff and post-close inventory — in Excel and Google Sheets.
- $4.45 Excel
House Search Tool - Excel
Three showings deep and you can't remember which house had the big yard. This excel house search tool pairs every frustration with a fix — compare, tour, decide.
Big DecisionsView details - $2.95 Excel
House Buying Decision Helper - Excel
Which house actually wins on the factors you care about? An excel house buying decision helper that scores up to 10 homes against 10 weighted factors.
Big DecisionsView details - $14.95 Spreadsheet
Home-Inspection Review & Repair-Negotiation Worksheet — Price Every Finding, Then Build the Ask (Excel & Google Sheets)
Turn a home-inspection report into a costed, prioritized repair ask — every finding priced from a built-in library and netted against your cash to close.
Big DecisionsView details - $4.95 Excel
Mortgage Payoff Calculator - Excel
There are two kinds of homeowners: the ones who know what an extra payment buys them, and the ones who guess. This excel mortgage payoff calculator turns the guess into a number.
Personal FinanceView details - $4.95 Sheets
Mortgage Payoff Calculator - Google Sheets
You're staring at the amortization statement wondering what an extra $100 a month actually buys you. This google sheets mortgage payoff calculator shows the years and interest saved.
Personal FinanceView details - $4.95 Excel
Apartment Search Tool - Excel
Apartment Search Tool is an eight-tab Excel workbook for renters comparing communities, apartment features, reviews, and tours, with weighted scoring to rank a shortlist.
Big DecisionsView details - $2.45 Excel
First Apartment Checklist - Excel
Signed the lease and now panicking? This Excel first apartment checklist preloads 180+ essentials by room so you know exactly what to buy, pack, and bring.
Personal ProductivityView details - $2.45 Sheets
First Apartment Checklist - Google Sheets
Confession - nobody packs the can opener until move-in night. This google sheets first apartment checklist front-loads 180+ first apartment essentials so you stop guessing.
Personal ProductivityView details - $14.95 Excel
Home Inventory Spreadsheet for Excel — Room-by-Room Insurance Inventory with Proof Score, Coverage Check, Estimated ACV & Claim Worksheet
Excel home inventory for insurance: log what you own room by room, score your proof, check it against your policy limit and build a claim schedule.
Life AdminView details - $14.95 Sheets
Home Inventory Google Sheets Template — Room-by-Room Insurance Inventory with Proof Score, Coverage Check, Estimated ACV & Claim Worksheet
Google Sheets home inventory for insurance: list what you own room by room, score your proof, check it against your policy and build a claim schedule.
Life AdminView details - $2.95 Excel
Mattress Buying Decision Helper - Excel
When did you last buy something you'll use 30,000 hours? The excel mattress buying decision helper scores up to 10 options across 10 weighted factors.
Big DecisionsView details
Where we fit
Choose the setup that fits your work
Compare the setup effort, collaboration, and automation you need. Ardent Workshop sells ready-made templates; a custom spreadsheet or software platform may fit better depending on the job.
- № 01
Blank spreadsheet
Build the structure around your own process, with time set aside for formulas, layout, and maintenance.
- Flexible structure
- You build it
- Software costs vary
- № 02 You are here
Ardent Workshop
Owned, structured, connected workbooks — a one-time price, yours to keep.
- One-time price
- Structured & connected
- Yours to own
- № 03
Software platform
Consider a platform when you need shared workflows, automation, or integrations. Check the specific plan, permissions, and export options.
- Features vary
- Check total cost
- Check data portability
Reading list
Guides for buyers who want to do this once
Affordability checks, payoff math, inventory framing, and the 2026 buy-or-wait read.
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Big Decisions 12 min readThe Price-to-Rent Ratio
The price-to-rent ratio divides a home's price by a year of rent. Here is how to calculate it, what the 15 and 20 thresholds mean, and when the number lies.
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Big Decisions 10 min read5-Minute Affordability Check
Five numbers to run before you tour a house. In five minutes, you'll know whether the listing is actually affordable — not just whether you qualify.
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Big Decisions 19 min readCompare Mortgage Offers
Three lenders, three Loan Estimates, three different answers. Here is how to compare mortgage offers on what borrowing actually costs you — not on the rate.
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Big Decisions 12 min readWhat Closing Costs Cover
Closing costs run 2–5% of a home's price. Here's a line-by-line look at what you're actually paying for at the closing table — and why it's so much.
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Big Decisions 11 min readFixer-Upper vs. Move-In-Ready
The fixer-upper's lower price is the most misleading number in real estate. Here's how to score a fixer-upper against a move-in-ready home honestly.