Choosing the Right House: Make Sure It Works for You
Looking for a new home? It's a complex process, but the reward
is great - a refuge from the world, a place for entertaining, a
comfortable and safe nest for a growing family - a place where
you can create the surroundings and decide how to live in them.
Before you start looking for your new home, it's best to do some
careful thinking. How do you want to use your home? Do you want
to entertain a lot? Do you prefer small gatherings or lavish
parties? Are you a barbecue nut? Do you want to be able to host
family and friends for overnight or week-long stays? Maybe you
don't want all those relatives piling in on you, and want a cozy
little retreat and an excuse to put the relatives up at the
closest motel. All these questions suggest very different needs
in terms of space. If you like to host frequent small dinners,
for instance, a big eat-in kitchen or separate dining room might
be a priority. If you want to throw a huge bash periodically, a
big living room and, during warmer seasons, a landscaped garden
or deck with plenty of room for seating would be an asset, as
would a highly functional, professional style kitchen. A
barbecue nut absolutely needs a big backyard; and hosting
relatives requires extra bedrooms (or rooms which could be
quickly converted into guest rooms) and definitely more than one
bath.
Make a "must have" list for your new home: eat-in kitchen,
finished basement, big backyard, gardening space, in-ground pool
- whatever you most desire. Then go through your list and
prioritize, based on how you really plan to live.
Assuming you know the general area where you want to live, it's
also important to have a list of towns where you would like to
live. Depending on your family status - kids in school or not,
married, single, young, middle-aged, nearing or past retirement
age - you might want to factor in the quality - and cost - of
the schools, the tax base, the presence or absence of cultural
events, and so forth.
Once you've really defined your ideal home and possible
locations, you're ready to contact a Realtor. Let your agent
know what you're looking for in a new home, and he or she will
be able to search a Multiple Listings Service (MLS) database and
generate a list of possible homes.
You've done your dreaming in terms of an ideal home; now it's
time to get practical. Unless you have unlimited funds to build
your own perfect house in the perfect location, chances are
you're going to have to compromise. Here's where the priorities
come in. If you want lots of room for get-togethers but can't
find a house big enough with the kitchen you want, you may want
to choose a large home and remodel and expand the kitchen
yourself. The barbecue nut may be able to live with a small
kitchen as long as he has a big backyard.
Thin out possible homes to perhaps half a dozen options, and
make appointments to see those properties. If more than one
person is going to be involved in the purchasing decision, make
sure all parties involved are present for the showing. Get all
the information you can from the Realtor about each property
before you visit it - property descriptions, disclosure
statements, deed information if available - and read it all.
Bring along a list of possible questions to ask regarding each
property, as well as a checklist of your wants and needs. As you
view the property, take notes, and discuss each property after
v
iewing it with your Realtor. Try to winnow out properties as
you go; once you've seen two properties, compare and contrast
them, and try to eliminate one if you can; then go on to the
third property, and again try to eliminate one. You may not be
able to accomplish this completely, but even if you cut the
possibilities in half using a systematic approach, you'll be
closer to your goal.
Remember, some things you can fix and some you can't; so make
sure this new home will function for you the way you want it to.
The prettiest house in the world isn't going to be a happy place
if it cramps your lifestyle. So go for practicality and
function, and if necessary add the finishing touches yourself.