When buying a house, everyone has priorities. The buying process is complex and takes time, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Writing your priorities is an important step in the process, it would help you stay focused on some of the features that are important to you and your family.
Your real-estate agent will also want to understand what matters to you most. Understanding which features mean the most to you will help focus your search and provides a tool for you to compare the homes you see.
In today’s video, we’ll see things that you might want to consider when buying a new house. Each one of us has their own view and unique needs, so you may rank them differently or add others that are key to you, but the items we will review today are all worth considering.
This is your chance to discuss these items with your family to help save time, focus your search and find your forever dream home, so let us check them out
Number1: Location of the Property
First and most important is Location of the house. When it comes to location, there are several factors that you may want to consider, for example, the proximity of the location to areas that are important to you, for example, school, work, place of worship, recreations and so on.
Another important factor would be school district, research has shown that the price premium from school quality is substantially large, particularly for neighborhoods associated with high-quality schools (Click Here for Reference)
A third element within location, is the location of the house within the neighborhood, is the house on a busy noisy street, do you have power lines running close to the property as these things could be a major deal breaker for many buyers, and you have to consider how would such things impact your family, and also impact the sellability of the house in the future.
Number 2: Number of bedrooms and bathroom
Each family will have an idea on the number of beds and bathrooms they need, some families are happy for their kids to share bedrooms, while others like separate bedrooms. So, think about what best suites your family needs and your budget.
Also, as the need to working or studying from home increase, think about how that may impact your choice, would you need an extra bedroom to double as a home office? Or maybe each kid will now need a separate room? Or can I use the basement for home schooling? All these are options to consider and think about.
The same consideration also applies to bathrooms. How many bathrooms do you need, and the location of each bathroom? Would you need a powder room for guests?
Another consideration for bathroom is the style, do you want a bathtub or a shower or both? Would you need a bathroom that allows easy access for an older person?
In general, think about who will be using your house from your family, and your guests, and based on your budget, see what you can afford, and what items are you ok to live with.
Number 3: Kitchen
Kitchen is the heart of a home, this is where you create great food for you, your family and friends, and this where the family will gather, and you might even find that this is where your friends gather when you host. Because kitchens are the center of the activity at a home, the size and layout of the kitchen is very important.
If you have one person doing all the cooking for only two people, a small kitchen might be a good choice. Parents who like to cook meals for the family might like more space. Whatever your preferences in the kitchen, write them down and discuss them with your agent so you’re looking for the best option for your family.
Number 4: Outdoor Space
Are you looking for a big backyard with lots of area for kids to play? Maybe you want it fenced, and ideally will have a pool in it. On the other hand, some might want something that is more manageable and less work to maintain.
Other features that might be of interest to you could include a screened-in porch or a sunroom that allows you to enjoy the outside minus the bugs or elements of weather
Number 5: Type and Style
houses can come in many different types, they could be a single-family independent home; A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelling.
Town houses on the other hand consists of several adjacent units where there is a continuous roof and foundation, and a single wall divides each townhouse, but some have a double wall with inches-wide air space in between on a common foundation.
While the style of house can come in many forms, and they usually describe the architecture of the house, defining the way it looks from the outside, and how space is utilized inside.
The Bottom Line
These are some of the features that could be important to you, and I know that you will have other features that you would like to consider, discuss these features with your family and your real estate agent.
Bee (Badera) Maslamani
