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The following is a guest post on things to look for while choosing your new home. We are not home owners yet but, have dreams about our first home. Well, every one should have big dreams about the first home. Enjoy the post!
With so many options for housing in today’s market, it can be tough to know what to look for in a new home. On top of the options between a house, apartment or flat, there are other things to think about such as kitchen size, closet space and more.
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Closets
Homes built in the early 1900’s had miniature closets. Home buyers touring older homes will see how limited the closet space was back then compared to closets today. In the past, women had a few good dresses and maybe two pairs of shoes. Men had even less. They had two suits and a few casual pairs of pants. The closets were adequate for their needs. Men and women today have hundreds of shoes for every situation. Boots, dress shoes, casuals, heels and flats must all fit in the same space and be readily available.
Closets will be in style for years. The huge walk-in closet will be popular today and ten years from now. It’s an important feature that appeals to the new generation of home buyers.
Home Office
More and more people are bringing their jobs home with them. They are checking emails, talking to clients and making sales from home. They need a dedicated space away from the main house to conduct business.
Often an extra bedroom can be converted into a usable home office space. During a tour, home buyers will check for a dedicated home office space and if one isn’t provided, they will convert each room in their heads to fit their needs. If it’s a three bedroom space, potential home buyers will see two bedrooms and a home office.
Hardwood
The trend in new homes is hardwood floors. While older homes were covered in carpet, newer homes are opening up the space by providing beautiful hardwood floors. If the new homeowner wants carpet, they can cover the floors in rugs.
The space is easier to maintain with hardwood floors than with wall to wall carpeting that can get dirty and worn. Often in older homes, new buyers will frown at the carpet and peel up corners to see what’s underneath it.
(Related – 6 Financial Must Do’s For First Time Home Buyers)
Local conveniences
Young couples might want wide open spaces to watch their growing family play, but most of the new generation of home buyers want local amenities. They aren’t looking for acres of land to mow. They have busy lifestyles, and they want property that is part of a community.They want a home near their favorite restaurants, clubs, gyms and businesses.
Whatever home you are looking for, remember that you always have options to suit any budget. Remember to think about what you can afford, and what you can borrow. Make sure to look for a lender with great repayment options.
(Related – 51 Tips Before you Buy a Home)
SB’s Thoughts – Although we do not have a kid yet. We will definitely try for a home in a good school district. I’ll also look for enough garden space. I have this fantasy to set up a butterfly garden and a small green house. I would like to have enough space for that.
SMB would go for an island kitchen, that I know. Locality is a big factor too. We live in south Florida, the cities here are well landscaped, manicured and lush green, so, wherever we buy our home it will be in a scenic surrounding, so I am not worried about beauty and serenity factors that much.
I would like our home to be near a super market that will save time and gas. But, the biggest thing I’d pay attention to is the age and the structural strength of the property, including the roof.
Readers, what did you look for when you first purchased your home? For those who are not a home owner yet, what are your thoughts?
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Michelle says
May 23, 2013 at 12:34 AMWe’re wanting closet space, a good sized yard, updated inside and more. 🙂
Manette @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance says
May 23, 2013 at 3:50 AMWhile looking for our second home, we knew what we were looking for. Three or four bedrooms on second floor and another room at the ground floor that will serve as our home-office, spacious kitchen where i can experiment with my recipes for my food blog, a yard where the kids can play so that they do not have to play on the streets, and garage that is good enough for two cars. On top of it all, it should also fit our budget for the monthly amortization and insurance. At first, we had difficulty trying to find what we wanted. But patience and more patience, I believe that will finally find what we are looking for. (Tyoping the last sentence while singing to the tune of U2’s “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”.LOL)
Jenny @ Frugal Guru Guide says
May 23, 2013 at 6:09 AMWe wanted at least four bedrooms: parents, one for boys, one for girls, and one guest room, as our parents live far away and come for weeks at a time.
We wanted a basement for a practice dance floor–we’re ballroom dancers, and this was my husband’s #1 desire.
We wanted two living areas, minimum. One is the playroom/office–not the best combo, but it’s the space we have. An additional room would be VERY nice, but property here is really expensive.
I demanded a coat closet that could also hold the vacuum cleaner, but other than that, we weren’t focused on closet space, as we’re not clothes horses! I currently have 6′ of closet space, and my husband has 4.5′. It’s plenty for us. The kids bedrooms each have about 4.5′, too.
SMB says
May 23, 2013 at 10:01 AMHas to be a waterfront property with a patio overlooking the waters. I would love to sit outdoors and watch the herons and the ibises, while I sip my tea..I would love to have a herb garden in the backyard, as well as a plot for the flowering annuals. An island kitchen, as you have already mentioned would be lovely. A sunroom is something that I have always dreamed of, and would serve as my library cum office cum refuge. It must have at least one bay window, with plenty of sunshine streaming in..I would set up a comfortable chair near the window and love to look out at the garden, while I contemplate or read my book. Other than that, I would love to have all the things that a good house has- big rooms, at least 3; nice closet areas, modern kitchen etc 😀 🙂
[email protected] says
May 23, 2013 at 10:22 AMThe kitchen seems to be an often undervalued investment. Kitchen renovations are a huge money sink, and having a good kitchen makes things so much easier and more enjoyable.
Darbi says
May 23, 2013 at 10:39 AMA few years ago, we purchased a house built in 1949. Planned to convert basement into office/social area. Once the drought ended discovered that the basement floods. Since then, we have replaced windows ($10,000), siding and roofing ($24,000), sewage line to street ($6,000), just to name the headlines. When the recession hit, my house became worth less than I paid for it and is now close to recovering.
The point I want to make is that homeowners need to have a significant savings for these emergencies.
Liran @ ChooseTerm says
May 24, 2013 at 11:10 AMAgreed – When you own a home unexpected emergencies, are not really “unexpected” – you know they will make an appearance, you just don’t know exactly when. Having an emergency fund when buying a home is a smart move.
SavvyFinancialLatina says
May 23, 2013 at 11:13 AMConvenience is great. Right now we live close to supermarkets, and shopping centers, and it’s great. We don’t want a big yard to mow, and want as little upkeep as possible.
Things I’m looking for: big closets, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, good layout, ample kitchen.
Mr.CBB says
May 23, 2013 at 5:52 PMI’ve put all new flooring in our house and it’s close to work which is plus. There is also a school in walking distance and some shops. We are in a very desirable area but it’s not high traffic and all modern like some of the new subdivisions that go on and on forever. We love where we live. Closets are very important, never can be enough of those. As long as the house suits the owner anything else can be changed.
My Multiple Incomes says
May 24, 2013 at 4:09 AMWhenever I look for a new place, I make it a point to check out the local conveniences, closet space (since it’s better to live clutter free), and a place that is easy to maintain, since we live busy lives and cleaning the place is very necessary, but sometimes a hassle.
pramod baviskar says
May 25, 2013 at 4:00 AMi thinks overall experience is necessary.
Clyde says
May 27, 2013 at 4:08 AMI’m still renting as of today. But my very first thoughts are the home which I will be purchasing in the future should not be easily flooded, with good security and near convenience stores and shops, near hospitals, and the police station.