| 1.
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, such as children, schooling, and aging parents.
For the dream list, jot down all of
the features you would love to have in your home. It might
include the following:
- Fireplace
- Swimming pool with Jacuzzi
- Greenhouse
- Breakfast nook
- Two stories
- Skylights
The
need list should be the features you
know you must have. This list might include:
-
Number of bedrooms
- Number
of bathrooms
- Bath
in the master bedroom
- Separate
dining room
- Garage
- Basement
The do-not-want list should include
everything 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
2. Where do I want to live?
Look at the surrounding houses in the neighborhood. Are
the homes and yards well kept? The condition of these
homes will affect the value of the home you buy.
Explore the lot thoroughly. Does it offer adequate privacy?
Will you maintain the grounds or hire someone? Do you
like the landscaping or would you design your own?
What kind of area is it in? How close are shopping facilities,
banks, churches, hospitals, schools, parks, movie theatres?
Before
you make a decision on a particular home, reject locations
where negative conditions outweigh positives. Consider:
Crime
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 noise and air pollution. Pay attention
to traffic and noise.
Visually
unappealing
When
looking into the back yard, are you greeted with the sight
of a transformer, radio broacdcasting 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 a home. |
