• Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Policy
  • Guest Post
  • Archive

One Cent At A Time

A Personal finance blog to get rich

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Beautiful Life
  • Becoming Rich
  • Beginners Guide
  • Extra Income
  • Productivity
  • Saving Money

What to Look for in Your New Home

May 23, 2013 12 Comments

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

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!

Buying home

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.

(Related –  True Cost of Buying Home – Other Hidden Expenses)

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?

LIKE THIS POST?
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )
Join our community of 8000+ subscribers to increase your net worth and build wealth
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
The tool that changed the way I manage my personal finance - Personal Capital, The Best Free Personal Finance Tool

Want to start a WordPress blog now? The onecentatatime.com blog is hosted by Siteground Web Hosting. For only $3.95 a month, Siteground can help you set up and host your website/blog quickly and easily.

About the Blogger Hi I am SB, a personal finance enthusiast with a career in software development. I am an immigrant to the USA since 2005, after being born and brought up in India. This 40 something technocrat lives and breathes personal finance whenever he gets time from the day job, job as a husband and a dad

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, if you make a purchase following the links, I may earn a commission. Read affiliate disclosure here
« Modern Home Bookkeeping with Less Effort and No Cost
15 Creative Ways to Earn Money Online From Home »

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    May 23, 2013 at 12:34 AM

    We’re wanting closet space, a good sized yard, updated inside and more. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Manette @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:50 AM

    While 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)

    Reply
  3. Jenny @ Frugal Guru Guide says

    May 23, 2013 at 6:09 AM

    We 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.

    Reply
  4. SMB says

    May 23, 2013 at 10:01 AM

    Has 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 😀 🙂

    Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    May 23, 2013 at 10:22 AM

    The 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.

    Reply
  6. Darbi says

    May 23, 2013 at 10:39 AM

    A 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.

    Reply
    • Liran @ ChooseTerm says

      May 24, 2013 at 11:10 AM

      Agreed – 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.

      Reply
  7. SavvyFinancialLatina says

    May 23, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    Convenience 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.

    Reply
  8. Mr.CBB says

    May 23, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    I’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.

    Reply
  9. My Multiple Incomes says

    May 24, 2013 at 4:09 AM

    Whenever 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.

    Reply
  10. pramod baviskar says

    May 25, 2013 at 4:00 AM

    i thinks overall experience is necessary.

    Reply
  11. Clyde says

    May 27, 2013 at 4:08 AM

    I’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.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.



Create your own blog in 20 minutes and $20

Personal Capital, a free tool to change your financial health today

I use and suggest Upstart, for your personal loan need

CreditKarma, a free tool to check your credit scorey

I use Coinbase, for my crypto investments

101 Cents at a Time

101 Ways to Earn Extra Money on the Side
201 Frugal and Perfect Birthday Gifts
101 Ways to Save Money Everyday
101 Ways to be Better and Successful at Work
101 Ways to Save Environment and Energy
101 Frugal and Romantic Anniversary Ideas
101 Low-Cost Men's Fashion Ideas
101 Personal Finance Tips
101 Ways to Reuse Household Stuff
101 Things to Do, When Nothing to Do
101 College Graduation Gift Ideas
100 Tips for Ecommerce Startup
101 Ways to Enjoy Indoor During Winter
101 Ways to Beat Procrastination

Popular Posts

Quick Cash - How to make $100 legally, in a day
Living well on less than $15,000 a Year
Top survey sites for side income
What to do when auto repair goes wrong
Where should I invest my money now?
20 Ways to be productive and happy at work
51 Ways to get out of debt
Be a better person in 15 days, 15 ways
Income ideas for retirees and senior citizens
51 side jobs for college students
Urgently need a large amount of money?
Should I buy or should I rent?
Best Personal loan providers
25 Ways to save environment
25 DIY car repairs to save money
How to decorate office cubicle
How to show your wife you care
50 Financial Rules for Success
51 Frugal weekend family activity ideas
Become Rich By Saving 1 Hour Of Daily Wage
How much do I need to save for retirement?
How to negotiate your salary

Follow us on FaceBook

About Author

SB

Blogger by choice and IT manager by profession. Finance is my passion and gardening is my greatest satisfaction. Born in India, settled in US, Husband and a father. I created this blog in 2011 with a vision to help others. Thanks for your patronage. More info on my "about" page.

View all posts


Subscribe

Join our community of 5000+ subscribers to increase net worth and build wealth

Advertisements

Personal Stories

How I got a new HP computer replaced
Was COVID circulating in USA in fall of 2019?
How my credit score went up 800+
Why I didn’t invest in Bitcoins
How I controlled impulses to buy things
Why this blog is named One Cent at a Time

Subscribe via Email

Site Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this web site are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Read full Affiliate disclosure


One Cent at a Time is published by SB. The opinions expressed herein by him are his own and not those of his employer or anyone else. All content on One Cent at a Time is for entertainment purposes only. By reading this blog, you agree that SB and/or One Cent at a Time is not responsible for any actions taken after reading this blog. For the full disclaimer, click here .

Major Media Mention

One Cent at a Time Media Appearances

Copyright © 2023 One Cent At A Time · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media