Buying a home can be an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. Rarely will you find a home that has everything you are looking for. The hard truth is that you will most likely have to make some trade-offs when buying a home. So how do you decide what is most important to you? What do you sacrifice? What are your “must-haves”? Here are five things that we suggest you look for when buying a home.
- Functionality. Think about what you really need in a house. Who will be living there? What kind of lifestyle do you lead? How much time will you really be spending at home? All of these questions can help you decide the square footage and layout you should look for in a home.
- Yard. The yard is an important part of a home and can vary drastically from property to property. If you spend a lot of time away from home traveling for business or have a career that takes up most of your time, you definitely aren’t going to want a yard that requires a lot of your time on the weekends to keep it looking nice. On the flip side, if you have kids and want a nice area for them to play or you like to host summer BBQs, a big yard is going to be important to you.
- Neighborhood. Based on your needs and your lifestyle, consider what you are looking for in a neighborhood. Schools, walkability, and amenities like parks or gyms might be important to you.
- Required Updates. Take into consideration anything about the house that may need to be updated soon. How many fixer-upper projects are you willing to take on?
- Budget. Your budget is probably the most important aspect of what to look for when buying a home. You don’t want to fall in love with a house that you could not afford, so make sure to stay within budget when you look at properties.
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