How to prioritise what you want in a house

Your dream home is out there with the perfect location, price and layout… at least that's what you hope when you start your search. Knowing which items on your list to prioritise as you speak with your real estate agent can help you narrow down options and set realistic expectations. Before you begin your search, keep in mind that there are some parts of the house that cannot easily be changed and prioritise from there.

To follow are home buying items to consider and how to prioritise them.

1. Location

First and most obviously, you should consider where you want to live. The ideal location will vary vastly depending on each personls lifestyle. You may have a family you want to live near, an office or workplace you want to cut commute time for, or living near your favourite restaurant could be at the top of your list. No matter what part of your life you prioritise the highest, location will have a big impact.

2.  Price

While the price of your dream home may be negotiable, you need to know your budget. If you've been preapproved for a loan or used an online calculator, you probably already have a good idea of how much home you can afford. Knowing this important detail will set your search up for better success and more realistic expectations.

3. Details of the property

Once you know where you want to live and how much you can afford, now you can get into the fun part of choosing the right home for you. Some features you'll want to consider include:

• Size of the lot.
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
• Size of the backyard and porch.
• Layout of the home.
• Condition of the home appliances.

While you could buy the lots surrounding your home if that's available, you want to scale your motivation for home renovation before signing onto a fixer-upper.

4. Condition and age of the home

If you're interested in new construction, you can disregard this step. If not, the age and condition of the home will matter significantly as you consider how much work you will need to do in the future. If the home has been vacant for a while, building codes may have changed or there may be foundational issues you'll need to address before moving in. Getting your home appraised before putting the deposit down is highly advisable.

5. Seller's incentive to sell

To get the best price for your budget, you and your real estate agent should look into finding a seller who is highly motivated to sell. Signs of a highly motivated seller are they are moving out of state, changed jobs, paying two mortgages, or it's an estate sale.

If you're ready to get started, check out our available homes for sale or get in touch with one of our professionals today.