Determine your housing needs before you search when buying your home
You finally decided it is time to be home owner. You had made a great decision. But you may be asking yourself, “How do I know what is right for my family?”. Determining your housing needs before you search will help you save lots of time and frustration, and keep you focused on the home most likely to bring you years of pleasure. Your home should fit the way you live or want to live. Space and features for the entire family should be considered. Before you begin your home search, make a list of your priority. Here is what you may want to consider to determine your housing needs:
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Location
You want to consider location as a priority although here you can make it to one side of town to the other in 30-40 minutes.
Should your home be close to a particular School?
Do you want to live near work?
What is your maximum commute time and distance?
Is there a particular view you are seeking such as city view, lake, mountains?
House – General
Other than high ceiling and open concept floor plan, other things to ask yourself:
Do you have a preference for when the house was built? New construction homes?
Do you want a house in move-in condition or are you willing to do some work on it?
What type of house are looking looking for? single family home? townhouse? Condo?
House – Exterior
What size lot would you like?
Do you want to have a private pool or hot tub?
What are you looking for in terms of a garage (attached, carport, etc.)?
How many stories?
Do you prefer in HOA or No HOA?
What kinds of community amenities are you looking for? Gated community? community pool?
House – Interior
How large is the living space should the house be?
In general, what are your likes and dislikes for the interior of your home?
How many bedrooms do you need?
How many bathrooms do you need?
What features must your kitchen have? breakfast area? Island?
What are your likes and dislikes for the kitchen?
Would you like the dining room to be part of the kitchen configuration?
Do you want a separate living room?
What do you like about family room?
Do you want a fireplace?
What other rooms do you need or want?
What size dining room table do you have? Guest bedroom? office?
Assess Wants and Needs
Once you have the list, now you need to narrow down your want and need. Ask yourself: What do you want in a home, and what do you really need?
Carefully considering your wants and needs is a key early process when buying a home. You are not likely to get everything you want in a home, unless you’re building it from the ground up (with the budget to match). Your home search could be a frustrating experience unless you separate the things you truly need from the amenities and features you’d love to have but can live without.
Consider “needs” to be true essentials that aren’t easy (or possible) to change. These are genuine must-haves that leave little room for compromise. Your “wants” are the kind of non-essential things ready made for a wish list.
Setting Expectations
Prepare yourself at the outset for the likelihood that you won’t get everything you want. The hope is you at least get everything you need. You may need to make some tough decisions when you start comparing one home to another, especially when you’re considering making an offer.
It becomes more about compromise, trade-offs and finding the best possible property given your priorities. One home might lack an updated kitchen but have a better location. Another might have a great yard and a beautiful master bedroom but force you into a longer commute.
Having a solid, evolving grasp on your true wants and needs can help make sure you get the best possible property given your goals, your lifestyle and your budget.
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