The time has finally arrived. You’ve saved your deposit and you’re ready to start looking for your new home. With so many different types of properties on the market, where do you begin? How will you know when you’ve found a good property or a dud?
Make a list, and check it twice
Start your hunt for a new home by making a list of all the features you want. Gather together the whole family and get them all to add ideas to the list. It’ll be a fun activity and you might learn some new things about what makes your house feel like home.
When considering what you want in your new home, think about how many bedrooms/office spaces/bathrooms you need, the location and proximity to amenities, schools and public transport, the type of access (stairs? driveway?), and the level of maintenance required on the house and gardens.
Also, think about the activities you do or wish you could do in your home. For example, if you’re always entertaining friends, then dedicated entertainment spaces are a good idea. With children, having a child-friendly section should be important, and if you have certain hobbies you’ll want to ensure there’s enough space to indulge them.
Take all the ideas and divide them into three lists:
- Must have: What features would you absolutely NOT live without? Eg. the number of bedrooms, the size of garage, north-facing.
- Nice to have: What features would be ideal, but you can be flexible as long as you end up with most of them. Eg. proximity to work/school/other activities, ensuite, butler’s pantry.
- Dream feature: What amazing features would be a total bonus if they came with the house? Eg. swimming pool, spa pool, wet room.
The most important list is the “must have” list. Using this list as a guide, you’ll be able to quickly narrow down available homes to the ones that will fit your needs.
If you can’t find a house within your price range that includes all your must have features, you’ll either need to change some of your must have’s into wants, find a way to raise more money, borrow from someone else, or set your sights lower.
If you’re ready to start looking for that dream home and want to get the best possible deal on your mortgage, then talk to Mike Whittaker. In your no-obligation free chat, you’ll learn exactly how much you can borrow and the best mortgage type for your needs.
