There’s a long journey between deciding to buy a home and signing the closing papers. It may last as long as a week or a year. The difference lies in preparation and decisiveness. The journey of the home purchase is full of twists and turns. For this reason, you should set the top criteria for your future home early on. Establishing the factors that matter the most will help you stay on track. It will also be easier to decide when to compromise.
The first thing you should do is determine the price and location. However, the decisions don’t stop there. Here are three areas that, in most cases, make or break the sale. Consider them before you start looking through listings.
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Size And Storage Space
The first thing to consider is whether the home is large enough to fit your needs. You may be a single business person who needs a small apartment. Alternatively, you may have three children and big careers, so you need a mansion in Toronto. Either way, the house you buy needs to match your lifestyle. A lot of times, especially for couples, it’s good to plan for the unexpected, such as home offices and children.
Also, if you’re moving to the new place with the furniture you already own, make sure it fits. Storage space is your next concern. Check the closets, the garage, the basements, and gauge whether your belongings will fit.
Development Potential
When you find the house you like, think about two things. First, whether it needs work, and second, whether you’re ready to work on it. If you’re planning to redo parts of it, consider if there’s enough room for those innovations. There are several rules to make these considerations easier.
- Try to estimate the potential correctly. Some renovations aren’t worth the time and expense they’d entail. In this case, it either may not be the best investment, or you need to scale back.
- Make sure the kitchen is functional. When it comes to redoing parts of your home, most rooms have a spare alternative – but not the kitchen. If you’re renovating this room, make sure you do it before you move in.
- Be realistic. You may be swayed by the beautiful space you have in front of you, but try to look beyond the obvious. For example, those windows are magnificent but old, and they will cost you thousands of dollars to isolate. These things add up if you don’t pay attention.
- Pretend you’re already the owner. Then, go around the house and try out everything. If there are things that bother you, imagine how it’ll feel once you live there.
- Check the ceilings. The ceiling shows whether there’s water damage, and most people forget to look up.
- Ask about the price of utility bills. That way, you can see how much it costs to warm and cool the place. Make sure your new home is energy-efficient enough that you can afford it.
Breathtaking Accessories
One of the best ways to make a hasty decision you’ll regret when it comes to buying a home is by allowing the bells and whistles to sway you. The house may be beautiful, minimalist, and precisely like the one from the magazine, but is it functional? Be sure to ask yourself this before you sign the dotted line.
Granite is one of the most significant culprits for an infatuation with dysfunctional homes. High-end countertops in kitchens and fancy bathrooms can leave such a great impression that they make a person overlook less appealing qualities.
If the rooms look expensive, be sure to check if everything is in a good state and not worn out. Besides, if you’re visiting an open house, remember that the decor makes the rooms. The fantastic furniture will soon be in another home, and you’ll add your own.
Be sure to look beyond the current style. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but making sure you still like the home without the items the previous owner added will help you make the right decision.
The Bottom Line
Finally, remember that in general, location comes before size. When you have a list of homes that fit these two criteria, it’s time to consider everything else. During your journey, you’ll have to prioritize here and there. Make sure you know what you must have, and then look for what you’d like to have. Will your priorities change in the future?
There will be many questions along the road, and it won’t be easy to answer them with certainty. Still, if you don’t, choosing the right home will be that much more difficult. You need to set your priorities straight and know what you need, so you don’t overlook something ideal for you by accident.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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