I know many people whose first home buying priorities included a big backyard and the home had to be single-story. Yes, we were young, and obviously not too bright. Ending up with the backyard of your dreams in a small single-story home that otherwise didn’t fit your lifestyle or tastes.
What’s your hot button?
While it may seem to be a simple question, it turns out that the answer is more complex than you think.
Impulse buying is real. Retailers know this and take advantage of our tendency by using in-store cues to direct us to impulse buys. From magazines to peruse (and hopefully throw into your shopping trolley) as you wait in line. Or the delicious looking chocolate or caramel dipping sauce located in the produce section next to the strawberries. The lure of impulse buying is everywhere.
The same holds true when shopping for a home. In the hands of a savvy real estate agent, a home for sale is presented in the best light possible. On trend paint colours, strategic lighting and the presentation of a certain lifestyle are sure to appeal to many buyers. If the home appears to be in move-in condition, it’s even more appealing.
To make sure you get exactly what you want we need to make a list, and unlike the chocolate bar at the checkout that gets snuck in, we need to stick to it and avoid these strategic distractions.
Firstly we need to make it about our list of needs; you can add wants in after. We need to make sure needs are first or we go back to the big back yard/small house scenario and it ends up not suiting your needs very quickly.
Create your list
This list should contain those features of a home and a neighbourhood that are most important to you and your lifestyle. What are the things that you simply cannot do without? Or what are the things you are looking for that has made you want to move in the first place.
It’s also helpful to write a list of must-not-have’s too, and make sure everyone involved in the buying process is on the same page, where possible also.
Let’s start with the location. To do that, you’ll need to understand what type of home you want to buy. You generally don’t find stand-alone homes with big backyards in or around town nor cottages in new residential areas. Deciding what type of home you want can help point you in the direction of where to look.
- Apartment
- Single-family house small backyard
- Flat
- Townhouse
- Cottage
- Large house with big backyard
Now you’ll need to construct that list. Remember, your needs take priority, but there’s also room for those wants also. Wants are those things that would be nice to have, if possible. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Should the home be one or two levels?
- What size do you need?
- Number of bedrooms required?
- Number of bathrooms required?
- Do you need an office?
- How big do you need the backyard / lawn to be?
- Garaging? How many cars, vans, bikes?
- Additional amenities, such as a pool (on site or nearby?)
- Commute time to work?
- Proximity to public transportation, schools, parks, shops etc?
Now, edit the list, placing priorities at the top. These are items that you absolutely cannot do without. Floor plan and layout of the house come into play here. If you have small children, bedrooms off the lounge may be a challenge as they will have to walk through to get to the bathroom in the evening or during the night. If you want to stay up and enjoy the lounge then good luck getting them back to bed.
Perhaps two lounges might be what you want so you can each have your own space. Budget is another biggie.
What’s important to other members of the family? You’ll all need to agree on which of their dream list items they’ll be willing to compromise on, if the need arises. And, it most likely will.
What are you looking for in a home? Take the time to figure it out, in detail, stick to the list, and you won’t regret purchasing your new home.
Brent Palmer – Professional Real Estate Consultant
About the Author: The above article on What are you looking for in a Home? was written and provided by Brent Palmer, a local leader in the field of Richmond and Nelson Real Estate sales, marketing, advanced technology for home selling, and social media. You can contact Brent Palmer here, or at 027 544 9921.
He has helped many people buy and sell homes in the Nelson, Stoke and Richmond areas for years, and would love the opportunity to help you as well.
Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for helping people sell their homes in our Nelson and Tasman Region, as well as the marketing, social media & advanced technology for home selling that goes along with it. I’d love to have the opportunity to sit down with you discuss how we can work together to get you the best price.
I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Nelson and Tasman towns & neighbourhoods: Wakefield, Brightwater, Hope, Appleby, Redwood Valley, Mapua, Stoke, Tahunanui, Atawhai and of course, Richmond and Nelson City. Connect with Brent on Facebook and pretty much everywhere else.
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