Top Four Best Tips on Choosing the Best Home to Move-In

 

Choosing a new home is one of the most significant decisions of a lifetime, with countless considerations, from practical and financial to emotional. There’s nearly always an element of compromise between your ideals and reality and often between partners or family members. Choosing a home comes down to personal priorities, but with so many different factors involved, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the complexity of the decision. 

An excellent way to organize your thoughts is for each person involved in the decision to write down all the characteristics of their ideal house. Bring these together, discuss the similarities and differences, and work on a list of must-haves, would-like-to-haves, and nice-but-not-essentials. Here are four tips to help you with that process.

1. Start With the Basic Parameters

The fixed parameters are the first and most essential considerations when getting ready to pick out a new home. These are non-negotiable financial things and elements you can only change about a house after moving in. The major set parameters are:

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Budget

Budget is the first thing you must figure out before starting home-buying. You’ll need to look at your income and expenses and get a rough idea of your home budget using online calculators.  Discuss your home budget with professionals, including your mortgage provider, accountant, financial advisor, and Realtor.  Set a strict upper limit and dismiss all options priced above that limit. Remember to factor in additional costs beyond the home price, such as closing and moving costs. 

Location

A house is, of course, fixed in its location. While neighborhoods change in character and local amenities in the long term, these are not things you can predict. You don’t have to determine a specific neighborhood or zip code for your home but put a fixed limit on things like commute time. Access to public transport networks might be a factor. School districts are essential not just for families or those who plan to have children but also affect the resale value and should be considered by all potential homebuyers.  

Location is also a lifestyle consideration. For example, if your lifestyle involves running or cycling, you need to find a home in a location that allows for this. If you have small children, are there playgrounds nearby? Is it necessary to have shops, restaurants, and other amenities within walking distance? It’s a good idea to go for both a drive and a walk around potential neighborhoods. Maybe do some shopping or go out for a meal there and get a sense of its general vibe. This can help you make a shortlist of potential locations.

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House Style and Condition

Some buyers are committed to a particular architectural style, while others are more flexible. There’s nothing wrong with making style a dealbreaker if it’s important to you. Understand that older homes require more maintenance and might come with ongoing costs such as more extraordinary heating expenses. No matter the house style, you must determine your willingness to upgrade a potential home. Do you need a 100 percent move-in ready house, or are you looking for a fixer-upper to transform, knowing the time and budgetary commitment that will take? Please keep an open mind about making easier aesthetic upgrades, but be realistic when tackling more prominent issues. 

2. Bedrooms

Look Beyond the Numbers

Unless you’re considering a potential major remodel, the number of bedrooms in a house is a fixed factor. The ideal number depends on your needs, family, and plans. It makes sense that the number of bedrooms is vital to including or eliminating a home from your search. However, you should also look at the specifics of those bedrooms, not just the quantity. Bedroom size is just as important. 

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of having a bedroom big enough to fit your ideal mattress dimensions and the rest of your bedroom furniture. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll “only sleep” in the bedroom and therefore don’t need a decently sized room. For one, sleeping takes up much of your lifetime, and a good night’s sleep is essential for well-being. We all prefer a lush or firm mattress and specific mattress dimensions, so be sure your potential new bedroom allows them. Further, replacing mattresses that worked in your old home but not your new one adds a considerable expense. There’s also the inconvenience of arranging mattress disposal when your to-do list is overwhelming. 

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3. Draw Out the Floor Plan

You might have an accurate impression of a home’s layout and dimensions based on photos or a showing, but having a copy of the floor plan is convenient. Your Realtor should be able to provide you with a copy. Spend a little time with a pencil, paper, and measuring tape and envision how your belongings, furniture, and appliances could fit into a potential home. 

Draw a roughly-to-scale model of your most significant pieces, such as mattresses, sofas, dining tables, and refrigerators, and make sure it’s feasible to fit them in the rooms where they need to go. Replacing these big-ticket items is expensive and inconvenient, so it could be a dealbreaker for a house if you hit any snags with the layout.

4. Don’t Overlook These Elements 

There are many things to consider when shopping for a new house. It’s easy to overlook elements that seem insignificant but do affect your day-to-day satisfaction. Here are just a few: 

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Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

  • Natural light. A gloomy home is rarely desirable and difficult to remedy. Try to arrange a second or third showing at different times of the day to assess a home’s natural lighting better. 
  • Storage space. Unless you’re a devoted minimalist, a home with few storage options can be challenging to keep organized. It’s sometimes, but not always, possible to improve the storage situation, so consider the options before committing. 
  • Parking. A house’s parking situation varies considerably depending on location and house style, as do the parking needs of homeowners. If you expect frequent visitors or have more cars than available parking spaces, look carefully at parking spaces and any local restrictions.

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