Sensible Advice on Choosing the Right Property

Before you start deciding which home is “the one,” it helps to decide what the right home actually needs to do for you. I like to separate the search into three levels: must-haves, like-to-haves, and bonuses. That gives us something useful to come back to when a beautiful home tempts you to forget one of the reasons you started looking in the first place. Some things to consider include:

  • price range
  • number and location of bedrooms and bathrooms
  • square footage and usable space
  • style and floor plan
  • specific features
  • lot size, outdoor space, and maintenance
  • location
  • neighborhood and surrounding amenities

Start by choosing your five most important must-haves. Then look at anything else you’ve labeled essential and ask yourself a harder question: if a home satisfied the top five beautifully but missed this one, would you still consider it? If the answer is yes, it may belong in the like-to-have category.

Write the priorities down. Then take them with you when we look at homes. After each showing, compare the property with the list while the experience is still fresh. A simple scorecard can help separate “I loved walking through it” from “this actually solves what I need my next home to solve.” You can download a sample Home Feature Priority Worksheet here.

Download Worksheet

You probably won’t find a home that checks every box. That’s perfectly normal. The important thing is knowing which boxes can remain unchecked without leaving you disappointed later.

COMMON BUYER PRIORITIES

These aren’t things you’re supposed to want. They’re simply common priorities that may help you think through your own list:

  • Main-floor living or laundry
  • Useful storage
  • Outdoor living space
  • Energy efficiency
  • Functional kitchen and pantry space
  • Floor plan and traffic flow
  • Durable flooring
  • Home office or flexible space
  • Heating and cooling
  • Smart-home or security features

A few other questions can help us refine the search:

  • What tradeoffs are you genuinely comfortable making — and which ones are likely to bother you every day?
  • What do you need from the neighborhood as well as the house? Visit the areas you’re considering at different times so you can experience them rather than relying only on a map.
  • How well will the home support the life you expect to be living several years from now, not just the one you’re living today?

Once you know what matters most, I can help make the search much more focused. Sign up for Automated Property Alerts on my website, or call or email me and I’ll build a search around your priorities. Then, as the homes appear, I’ll help you evaluate the tradeoffs without losing sight of the reasons behind the list.