What to Look for in a Home
With the multitude of houses on the market today, narrowing down your search by specifying your wants and needs is beneficial. So before you start looking, ask yourself these two questions:
What kind of home do I want?
You should make three lists: a dream list, a need list and a do-not-want list. Factor in your current housing needs, likes and dislikes and what you may foresee in the future, i.e. children, schooling, aging parents.
For the dream list, jot down all of the features that you would love to have in your home - let your imagination run wild. It might include the following:
- Fireplace
- Swimming pool with Jacuzzi
- Greenhouse
- Breakfast nook
- Two stories
- Skylights
The need list should be the features that you know you must have. This list might include:
- Certain number of bedrooms
- Certain number of bathrooms
- Bath in the master bedroom
- Separate dining room
- Garage
- Basement
The do-not-want list should include everything that you won't be able to live with in your home. This list might include:
- Small bathrooms
- No counter space
- No windows in kitchen/bathroom
- Tiny yard
- Insufficient closet space
- No garage
Where do I want to live?
No single factor influences the desirability of a home as much as location. If you can't manage to buy what you want where you want it, it's better to sacrifice a feature on the inside of the house than sacrificing the location. You can add a bathroom or install hardwood floors, but you can't improve the neighborhood.
Look at the surrounding houses. Do the homes and yards seem to be well kept? The condition of these houses will affect the value of the house you buy. If the houses are in poor repair, what does that say about the neighborhood?
What kind of area is it in? How close are the shopping facilities, banks, churches, hospitals, schools, parks, movie theatre and so on?
Explore the lot thoroughly. Does it offer adequate privacy? Will you be able to maintain the ground, or will you hire someone? Do you like the landscaping? If not, are you the type of person who wants to design your own landscaping?
Before you make a decision on a particular home, reject locations where negative conditions outweigh the positives. Consider:
- Crime: You have the right to go to the police station and ask for records of robberies, break-ins, vandalism, assaults and drug-related problems in the neighborhood. Is crime increasing or decreasing?
- Traffic: Heavy traffic produces a lot of noise and pollution, and it can become quite a nuisance. Make sure you pay attention to the amount of cars and the level of noise.
- Visually unappealing: When you look into the back yard are you greeted with the sight of a transformer, radio broadcasting tower, gas station, bus stop or ball field where night games are played?
- Flooding: Slope and the soil's ability to absorb water determine where and how fast water drains away from the house. You can check out local flood information through Stewart's Flood Information Division to find out if the house is in a flood plain.
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