Searching for a new home is exciting, and it can be tempting to grab the first house that you fall in love with. Having a little patience will go a long way toward turning your purchase into your dream home instead of a nightmare. What should you look for in your new home to make sure it fits your family?
1. The House Should Be Big Enough For The Unexpected
When you’re looking at listings like these (click for more info), it’s easy to just look at what you need now. If you’re a couple with one child and a home business, you might think you just need a three bedroom house. Maybe you later decide have another child, or your business grows and needs more room in the house. Buy with some room to grow.
2. Plan For Where You’d Place Furniture To See That It All Fits
If the house looks very tidy when you view it, make sure all the furniture is there. The owners may have moved some pieces into storage, so when you move in, you find that home doesn’t have quite as much space as you thought.
Measure your largest pieces of furniture, including height. Take a tape measure with you when you go house hunting, so you can make sure that everything will fit. If you love the house, but your sofa is too big for the lounge, either keep hunting or think about buying a new sofa.
3. Don’t Forget Your Non-Furniture Needs
Running out of storage space is one of the main reasons why people look for a new house. They need more garage space or more closet space. However, when buyers are looking at houses, they forget about all the stuff they’ve currently got stashed in the attic, basement, garage, and shed. Ask yourself, where will I keep my garden furniture? Where will I store suitcases, the kid’s garden toys, and my golf clubs?
Take a tape measure and see how much closet space you have. How much storage space do you need? Check this against what the new house offers.
Look out for open storage too. For example, if your current home has built-in shelving for things like books and DVDs, and the new house doesn’t, will there be room for the shelving you will need to buy or build? If you like to display lots of collectibles on shelves, with the new home let you do that too?
4. Count Kitchen Cabinets
Builders are building houses with pantries again because homeowners have found they need them. Does the new kitchen match your old one in the amount of pantry space and cabinets? If you had a pot rack in your old house, you will need to determine if one will work in the new house or if there is enough room for your pots and pans, china and glasses, and the dishes you only pull out on special occasions.
5. Don’t Forget The Garage
Don’t forget to check the garage. Cars were smaller in the past, so older homes often have smaller garages. If you drive a big car or use your garage for storage, make sure there is enough space.
Conclusion
We hope that these five tips on what to look for when buying a new home has been helpful and that you will consider them when buying your dream home.