Beginning your home search is exciting, but you might deflate a bit when your real estate agent asks you the specifics of what you’re looking for. Like most other things in life, determining what features you want in a forever home requires prioritization.
Forever Home Shopping Priorities
Here are some good places to start determining what your priorities should be.
Consider Your Needs
Before you think about what you want in a home, you should consider what features you absolutely need. For example, you might have space requirements because you have children or pets. Your family size will determine the amount of bedrooms you need in your new home. You may also have limited abilities and not want to purchase a home with a large yard or an older home that will require more maintenance.
Think About What You Want
Of course, buying a house is not just about what you need. You will want to enjoy living in this house, which leads you to consider what features you want. You may want to live in a certain neighborhood or have a fenced-in yard. Remember that you can add features throughout the years you live in the home, such as a deck, pool or new carpet. However, you will want to know upfront whether space or local regulations will permit you to make certain changes to the house.
Factor In Finances
You should never buy more house than you can afford—it is always better to spend less than the loan you qualified for. Money is a factor you simply must consider when determining your priorities. For example, you may not be able to afford a home that has all the features you want so you will have to start considering what trade-offs you are willing to make. Looking at houses for sale in an area can give you an idea of what combination of features you might be able to find in a house that fits your budget.
Think Ahead
Presumably, you plan to stay in your new forever home for the rest of your life. With this in mind, you need to think about the future when considering your priorities. For example, if you plan to retire in this house, you will want to consider accessibility as your mobility decreases. Stairs, raised steps and other features could become serious hazards as you approach old age.
When buying a pre existing home, you will always need to prioritize certain features at the expense of others. This can be a challenging process but essentially requires you to think long and hard about details. By knowing what you need and want, you are in a good position to find the forever home of your dreams.
Author bio: Emma is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
