Whether it's your first purchase or your fifth, the best way to figure out what you actually want in a home is to look backward — at what you've loved and disliked about the places you've already lived.
Interest rates are low and you're deciding that now is the time to make your first home purchase — or maybe you're ready to move on to a different adventure by selling your existing house. Whatever the case may be, there are always things you need to look for in your new home.
While many factors go into a great house, it all boils down to one thing: preference. Some people might value location, while others might value a backyard. The best way to determine your preferences? Asking questions. How do you figure out what questions to ask? The easiest way is to look back in time. Many people try to look forward to what they think they will like in a house — but you might not realize you already know exactly what you do and don't want.
Make a list of all the places you've lived in your life, and write down the things you liked about each house and the things you didn't. Remember to include not just the house itself but things like the area and the weather. Shortly after starting, you'll find repetition in the things you don't like and the things you do. This helps narrow down your search by giving you criteria backed by previous experience.
You can even use this method to prioritize the more important likes/dislikes by noticing the commonalities. For example, if every residence you've lived in that had a pool got a thumbs-up, and every residence that lacked one got a thumbs-down — a pool probably belongs near the top of your must-have list.
Once you've narrowed it down, the next step is talking to an agent who knows your target neighborhoods inside and out. That's where we come in.
Have a question about this article or how it applies to your situation? Get in touch with the team.