When you begin your search looking for the right home, what factors will you take in to consideration?
If you have a spouse, significant other, or any another adult involved in the decision, you want to have some understanding with that person of what is important. These decisions tend to work best when both parties have some input of what they would like.
When we bought our current house, my wife really wanted hardwood floors. Yet, for me, wall to wall carpeting would have been just fine. You need to compromise on certain home features. In addition, my wife also was looking to locate a home where the laundry was situated on the first floor. In our last two homes, the laundry was located in the basement. On this topic we were both in agreement.
One feature that I needed was a room for a home office. When I considered how much work I do from home, this was something that I truly needed. Fortunately, the house we did end up buying had a home office built in to the finished basement. This office has really served me well over the years.
Another key feature we searched for was a 2 car garage. In the previous homes we have lived in, we only enjoyed a 2 car garage once. When you live in the Boston area, a 2 car garage comes in very handy during the winter season.
If you are buying this home for only you, then you obviously make the selections that you like and you don’t need to worry about someone else’s ideas.
However, as you can see, when two people are involved in such a large decision, maybe the biggest financial transaction you ever take part in, you need to list what is important for each of you. You can each list two or three must haves and maybe two nice to haves when you are house hunting.
Above all, make sure you are buying something affordable. All the house features you desire are great to consider, but if the house price is over what you can afford to pay, move on to the next one. You can even limit your list to one must have each. The next time you view the Boston Real Estate Listings, stay in a price range that works for you.