Making Decisions Before You Buy a Home
Sometimes it may seem difficult to find the perfect property for you: you are unique and you have desires and needs, hopes and dreams for your new home. So how can you define your ideal home? First of all: don’t look throughout all the real estate portals, if you don’t have a clear idea of what you are looking for. This is the easiest way to get confused and not find the home you are dreaming of!
The best thing you can do as a beginning is defining your homebuying parameters and writing them down, so that you’ll never lose sight of what you are looking for. Let’s start with some basic ideas:
Kind of Home
Single Home.
Perfect if you are looking for more privacy, no noises from the guys living upstairs and a great opportunity to have a garden. Obviously, it will be more expensive and if you won’t be living there all year round, you’d better find someone, who will take care of the house while you are far away.
Condos, Townhomes.
Less expensive than single-family homes and no garden to take care of, but consider the lack of privacy and the common areas to share with other people.
Interior Specifications
Number of Bedrooms.
This is one of the main characteristics you have to decide as a first step. Make your considerations before looking for a house: how many family members, if you wish to invite friends to stay at yours, if your mother in law will soon be staying with you, etc.
Number of Bathrooms.
More than one bathroom is preferred by most people, especially if you buy a home with more than 2 bedrooms. If there is a spare room, you may consider to add a second bathroom, but always ask for a quotation first: sometimes it may be cheaper to buy a bigger home, rather than doing all the works for the bath connections.
Square Footage.
Larger spaces offer more room and cost less per square meter than smaller spaces. Anyway, have a global overview and “feel” the home: sometimes well designed smaller spaces appear larger.
Extra Rooms.
Do you need extra space for art studios, children’s playrooms, gym, study? Think about it before buying (if you need, or think you will need it in the near future) or it will be difficult to gain extra space and your rooms will definitely become smaller.
Garages
Attached or detached? It’s totally up to you, but if you go for an attached garage, check if there is an internal staircase or the possibility to build one: it will be more comfortable for you, especially when it’s raining.
Location & Neighborhood
Suburbs or Country.
Ideal if you are looking for peace and generally less expensive, but you have to be conscious that it will take more time to reach the town if you are going to work or for services.
Urban.
All you need (supermarket, schools, restaurants, etc) is at your fingertips, but they are often noisier and more expensive.
Cul de sac.
Ideal if you have kids, but forget your privacy: neighbours are closer and they will know all about you, breakfast time included!
Number of Floors
Single Floor.
No effort needed to climb the stairs and easier to clean. It is an ideal solution also if you need and easy wheelchair access. Yet, you might get annoyed by having your bedroom too close to the lounge, especially if there are guests around or someone watching Tv.
Two or more Floors.
More living space on the ground floor and less noise if entertaining on lower level while other family members sleep upstairs. Yet, you have to make up your mind with the idea of stepping up and down all the time; yet, it could be a good exercise if you don’t have time to go to the gym!
Other details you may be willing to consider:
- Special amenities such as fireplaces, pools or spas.
- Condition of plumbing, electrical, heating & cooling units.
- Available utilities such as cable or DSL, satellite.
- Sewer or septic connections.
- Proximity to schools.
