Making your dream home instead of buying it

Are you having a hard time finding the house of your dreams? You might be overlooking one important detail: There's no reason to necessarily keep the house you end up buying as is. In fact, the odds of checking every single item of your "want" list in a single house listing are slim to none, so why not change your approach and reallocate your budget? Your dream home might be within your reach if you readjust your initial expectations.

Instead of expecting to find everything you desire ready-made, start looking at house listings in light of their potential to be molded into your dream home. Focus on checking off the "must-haves" on your list, and widen the net to include homes you might have skipped in your initial search due to an eyesore yard or outdated fixtures.

Start looking at homes in the next price bracket down from your maximum, and consider how you can use the savings to remodel. You could find the perfect diamond in the rough just waiting for your personal touch to shine.

Here are four key areas you can address with renovation to transform an "almost right" house into your dream home:

The kitchen

Love the house, but hate that narrow kitchen with the ratty flooring, tacky cabinets and worn countertops? If a wall can be knocked out between a tiny kitchen and formal dining area, you can redesign with a more open floor plan. Also, adding new counters, cabinets, appliances and flooring could ultimately make the remodeled kitchen the centerpiece of your new home.

The bathrooms

Perfect number of bedrooms, but too few (or too cramped) bathrooms? No problem. Expand and refurbish tiny water closets – or consider adding a master bath to the main bedroom and letting your teenager take over the shared hall bath. When it comes to luxury, switching out a small cramped tub for a vertical shower cabin with surround water spray or a waterfall faucet can provide the feeling of opulence you crave.

The yard

Poor curb appeal can drop the price of an otherwise appealing home. Come in under asking and use the spare cash to completely redo the landscaping. If you prefer to spend a lot of time outside, a smaller house with an incredible garden and gazebo might be your real dream come true. Privacy hedge can add to the mystique of your new paradise, and a new coat of paint can work wonders.

The master suite

Do the homes you love all fail when it comes to the master bedroom? Look at multiple undersized rooms as an opportunity. Consider a home with an extra adjacent bedroom or study as an opportunity to create a master suite fit for royalty. Open up space and reapportion square footage to provide an ample walk-in closet and room for a Jacuzzi in a new master bath. And by simply eliminating even a small portion of a wall, you can turn a stingily appointed four-bedroom home into a luxurious three-bedroom dwelling.

Renovating a home when you are trying to sell it is a balancing act, as you want to get your money back out of the property as quickly as possible. Remodeling a house you are moving into isn't just in investment in your future should you choose to sell down the road – it also represents a down payment on your current comfort and happiness. You might just find that it's easier to make your dream home than to buy it!

Seeking a house, you can turn into a home? Contact Ray White Surfer's Paradise and we can help you find and purchase the right property to fulfill your needs and desires.