Random
house hunting may be interesting, but it's no way to locate
the right home for your family. Besides wasting a lot of time
and energy, you run the risk of buying what you really don't
want, or missing the perfect home to fit your needs and
desires. Your REALTOR® can help you qualify your needs and
pre-select certain homes that fit these needs. He can take the
work out of looking.
Your family's basic needs should be defined, as well as those
features that could be considered 'desires' and those nice
'extras' beyond your basic needs, that will give your home
more value while you live in it, and when you eventually sell
it.
Keep those in mind at all times. Then you can make your final
decision on the basis of which home has the most desirable
features. 'Frills' and 'extras' are often so attractive that
you tend to overlook the major needs and things you'll have to
live with day in and day out.
Two viewpoints.
You may be looking at a home as a 'stepping stone' investment.
If so, you should realize that although a certain home may not
have every feature that you desire, you should be willing to
make some compromises based on the economics involved.
Compromises are often easy to make, and can satisfy your needs
until you're ready to move on to another home as your family
structure and financial position changes.
On
the other hand, if you are looking at this home as a property
that you intend to own for a long time, and you have the
discretion of investing accordingly, then you will want to
make sure that it suits your present needs and that it can be
adapted to your future needs and desires.
Choosing the neighborhood. Factors such as convenience to
work, schools, shopping and public transportation will
probably determine the general area for your house hunting.
Beyond general location, it's important to know as much about
the neighborhood as possible. Is there adequate police and
fire protection, and is there a fee for those services? If the
area is under planned development (as more and more
communities are today), there will be protective covenants,
conditions and restrictions. Your REALTOR® will be glad to
provide copies of such covenants and to review them with you,
so that you will have a clear understanding of what is
involved in property ownership in that particular area.
In making any investment in property, one should know what the
past history of the property has been in that general region
and what the projections are for the future. This is all part
of your REALTORS® professional approach to the representation
of homes to buyers.
Get all the facts on the neighborhood
before you fall in love with a particular house.
Outside the
house. It is in your best interest to know how much property
is included, the amount of frontage and depth of the property.
How much maintenance does the exterior require? How about the
landscaping? If you like trees be sure they are there.
Condition
of roof, furnace, air conditioner, appliances: Most sellers
can give you their opinion, but you may want to have an expert
inspect the house (even at your own expense). In some cases,
if there are problems, adjustments can be arranged in the
purchase price to compensate for these repairs. After all, the
seller may not have had any problems with that item.
The home's general appearance is important, and most home
sellers will do some fixing up to make their house more
attractive when they are ready to sell. This is always a good
idea. REALTORS® will often recommend that the seller make
minor repairs and improvements, too. It's nice to be able to
move into a house where these little details have all been
cared for and everything is fresh and clean.
The floor plan. As you consider the floor plan of any house,
picture your family living in the house, doing the kinds of
things that you normally do and the kind of entertaining you
like to do.
Besides just considering the number of rooms, consider the
size as well. Large rooms are not always an advantage; small
rooms not necessarily undesirable.
In searching for
the 'right' floor plan, some compromises are usually involved,
since very few people can afford all of the things that they
might like to have in a property. What must be weighed very
carefully is just what compromises you are making and how
important they really are to you.
You may find that you will have to give up some features that
you previously thought were important in order to have some
other advantages of that particular home. This is entirely a
personal matter. There's no way anyone can tell you what
compromises or adjustments you should make.
Here
are just a few of many important considerations that every
homebuyer should know about. If you're buying a house that's
'For Sale By Owner' and without the services of a REALTOR®
and be sure to check all the things a REALTOR® would check.
We can furnish you with a more complete check list and counsel
with you on your specific requirements.
