House-Hunting: Make the Right Choice
When searching for a new home, it’s very easy to get distracted by the pretty things and overlook the more important, but there are ways that you can ensure this doesn’t happen. It’s all about prioritizing your needs from your wants.
Buying a house is probably going to be the most important purchase you will ever make in your lifetime, so make sure you’re on the ball, know how much house you can afford, and go house hunting with a gameplan.
If you follow these tips, you will be able to stay sane (and organized) on your house hunting journey. (Even if it doesn’t feel like you are.)
You have to prioritize.
Sit down with the whole family and discuss what is important to you in a home. Get everyone to write out a list of all the things they want, and would expect to have (even the kids) and then go through them all collectively and choose a top five.
When you start to look at different properties, there will be so many qualities that will stand out, maybe even things that you would never have thought about before. So by keeping your list close, you won’t forget what your original desires were.
What do you want?
This all depends on who you live with, what age they are, and what different careers you all have. As well as if anybody goes to school. All of this information will have a big impact on the location you decide on, and also the style of home you want. For example, if you don’t yet have any children, and don’t plan on having them anytime soon, then you may consider looking for an executive condo. But if you are very family orientated, then you will need to be in close proximity to the local schools, etc.
Keep track of what you’ve seen.
Bear in mind that you will see a lot of places, and no matter how good your memory is, you are bound to forget certain things. So when you see a property that you like, jot down all the features that come along with it. Or, make a checklist and print out lots of copies, then each place you visit, you can refer back to your list and see how it compares to the others.
Don’t forget to make notes about the layout and structure too, not just what the house comes with.
Walk around and take it in.
When visiting your first property, don’t go in trying to analyze everything and break it all down, especially not your first few viewings – you will be so caught up in the excitement that you won’t be able to focus on even the simplest things – and this is fine! So have a wander and enjoy it, then once you’ve managed to settle yourself down, you can start to get into it.
Now you’re calm, start from the start and do it all again. Walk in through the front door and begin your tour, but this time with your lists and pen out. Don’t rush the process – take your time and deal with the house level headed and unbiased, rather than being a potential buyer.
Bring your furniture measurements.
This may seem a little forward, but you would hate to fall in love with a place, only to realize that your favorite sofa, cabinets, and bed do not fit in how they should. And all of this can be avoided if you think ahead and bring all the important measurements with you.
Sketch out a floor plan.
You don’t need to be Picasso in order to sketch out your ideas. You can be as basic as you wish, drawing simple boxes and lines to represent the room, doors, and furniture. Just having it there to refer back to at a later date will make a huge difference in planning, so grab some paper and a pencil and get drawing.
Get photos and videos.
Before you take your camera out, you should always ask for permission first – not that anyone will actually tell you no – but it’s just common courtesy.
Memory fades, and if you don’t fancy getting into a debate with your other half about whether the fireplace was next to the door or opposite it, it would be a good idea to take a bunch of photos to look back at. And a video or two so you can see how the house flows throughout.
Also, don’t go posting anything online until it becomes your home. Realtors will expect the images to be for personal use and nothing else.
Open up the closets and cupboards.
You should never be afraid to nose into any closed doors. As a potential buyer, you have the right to see exactly what you’re getting, and if something is ‘off limits,’ you need to find out why immediately, as that is never a good sign.
Having storage is a very important factor when home hunting, as many of us have a lot of items that need to be put away somewhere that’s out of sight. So consider the size of the closets and cupboards, and ask yourself if that’s really big enough for what you have or not.
Peak under the rugs.
You may want to be a little bit more discreet if you plan on doing this, but again – you have every right to. This is because things like rugs, mats and hanging pictures on the wall are all things that can be ‘strategically’ placed in order to hide things like a damaged floor or a hole in the wall. This isn’t always the case of course, and it may just be put there because it looks nice, but it’s definitely something to think about. If you don’t feel comfortable moving things yourself, ask the realtor to do so for you.
Look up, down and all around.
You want to make a point of looking everywhere. This means the ceilings, walls, floor, windows, roof and so on – inside and outside of the property. If you don’t really know what to look out for, bring someone along with you that does. That will also be an advantage because they will ask all the right questions that you may not have thought of. You want to make sure that there are no leaks, or any damp spots, and just that everything is generally all in good nick.
Have a look at different times.
If you like a place so much that you plan on going back for a second viewing, choose a different time in the day than what your first tour was. This is so you can get a better feel for the atmosphere, not only in the home, but the neighborhood too. Is it noisy? Are there kids playing outside? If there is, what kind of age, and are they causing any trouble?
You would be surprised about the kind of information that you can learn just from visiting at a different time in the day, and the more times you visit – the more knowledge you will gain.
Where is the light?
This is something that is very easy to overlook when visiting different houses, but it is an important thing to consider. For example, maybe you dream of having afternoons lying in your garden in the summertime, catching some rays and drinking ice cold beverages. But the sun’s highest point may be facing the opposite side of your house in the afternoon, so you’ll end up in the shade for most of the day! – You didn’t think about that huh’?..
Research the regional weather.
If you are situated in a relatively hot climate, then you may prefer to choose a property that is shaded by trees (if you’re not a fan of the sun). Or maybe it’s the complete opposite. The area you are in could be prone to extreme weather conditions like rain and snow, and if that’s the case, you may want to think about entrances that are covered with some sort of roofing, to take cover underneath if you end up getting stuck out in the weather.
Look at the size of the driveway.
Not all properties actually have a driveway, so you would have to make sure there is somewhere you can park that won’t obstruct anything or anyone, (that is, of course, close to the house!) But if you do have a drive, is it big enough? If you only have one car, then there shouldn’t be an issue. But what if you have two cars and a caravan? Is there enough room for all of your vehicles or do you need to think of a different option?
Encourage daydreams.
There is nothing wrong with having your head in the clouds, especially when house hunting. You need to imagine yourself there, waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. How would you decorate your bedroom? What colors would you use? This kind of planning is the fun kind, and it’s very informative too. – If you are able to visualize yourself there, then you may be onto a winner…
