Did you know in 2020 alone that more than 5 million homes were sold? Since then, more and more people have been buying houses and if you're in the market for a new house, you'll first have to come up with a homebuyer wishlist.
By taking a bit of extra time and writing down what your dream house should look like, you will find that finding the perfect house for you will be much easier. But where should you start when it comes to creating such a wishlist? Should you start with the layout of the house, the location, the design, or something else?
As it turns out, it all starts out with the goals you want to set for yourself. Keep reading and learn more about how to craft a good homebuying wishlist below.
Set Your Homebuying Goals
Setting the right goals for your homebuying wishlist is more important than anything. If you don't have any goals in mind, how can you be sure that the home you're buying is really the right home for you? For example, you might think that one home is nice enough to buy so you settle for that one when there might be a much more desirable home nearby.
But because you haven't organized your goals and homebuying desires, you might gloss right over the perfect house. To fix this problem, think about what you want to accomplish and what you want to gain when buying a new house. For example, ask yourself why you want to buy a new house in the first place.
Are you buying a new house so you don't have to deal with renovations on your old one? Or are you looking for a larger home so you can expand your family?
The Details
Of course, if you're looking to have children and grow your family the house will need to be larger than an average house.
It will need more bedrooms, a large living space, a larger dining room, and so on. Or maybe, instead of having children, you want a new house so you can expand your business. In this case, you will want a house with plenty of workspaces and especially a developed office.
When you're setting your goals, always make sure to consult other members of your household. That way, you can all agree on what kind of house you all should live in. It wouldn't be ideal if you found the perfect house but your spouse or other family member didn't like it as much as you.
Whatever the case, writing down your goals on a piece of paper or in a document can help you visualize exactly what you're looking for in a new house. But that's not the only thing you should look for when buying a new house.
Consider the House’s Surroundings
You might think that you've found the perfect house, but once you start to look at its surroundings, you might not think that it's so perfect after all. One of the most important things you should keep in mind when house hunting is safety. During the day, the neighborhood might look fine, but late at night, it might be riddled with crime.
Of course, if you're trying to grow your family, the last thing you want to deal with is a high crime rate. While a home security system will be able to protect you and your family somewhat, it won't be able to do much if you move into a bad neighborhood. The best thing you can do is avoid neighborhoods with high crime rates even if the houses in such neighborhoods may be relatively nice and affordable.
Instead, opt for nicer neighborhoods even if the home prices are more expensive. That way, you won't have to worry so much about the safety of your family and yourself.
Schools and Other Aspects
Besides the crime rate in a given neighborhood, you should also consider other aspects of your surroundings.
For example, what is the school district like? How close is your school of choice to your new house? This is important to consider because sometimes school buses don't go down certain streets.
In this case, your kids might have to walk a few miles just to get to school. On the other hand, if the school is nearby, it will be very convenient for both you and your children. And, of course, other aspects of your surroundings are also important such as restaurants, grocery stores, and entertainment venues.
As long as your home is relatively close to all of these things, your homebuying wishlist will be off to a good start.
Separate Your Wants and Needs
Creating your homebuying wishlist can be a real challenge if you can't separate the things you want from what you need. For example, you may want a house with a pool. But a house with a pool is not a necessity and you could easily live without it.
But if you only focus on the things that you want in a house, you will find that it will be much harder to find a house that is suitable for you. The things you want in a house, such as a pool, may be much too expensive for your budget. Even if you find the perfect house, it may be beyond your budget and you would only be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Wants and Needs
Of course, this does not mean that you should give up on your wants when it comes to home buying. However, you should balance them with what you need out of your new house. For example, you might need a house with four bedrooms because you plan on having children and expanding your family.
Having only one or two bedrooms in a house would not do. This is not a matter of what you want but what you need. At the same time, you will need to balance what you need with your budget.
Houses with four bedrooms tend to be considerably more expensive than houses with two or three bedrooms. However, because you need these extra bedrooms, you will have to do a bit of saving up and ensure that your budget can cover the extra costs.
Once you separate the things you want from what you need in a new house, you will find that it will be much easier to narrow down your selection of houses.
Go to Open Houses
If you are still having a hard time figuring out what to put on your homebuying wishlist, try going to open houses. An open house is when you're able to go inside a house for sale and see what it looks like in the flesh. This is important because pictures on the internet can only tell you so much.
They can't tell you whether or not the house smells moldy or if there might be some hidden water damage on the ceiling. By going to a house in person, you'll be able to see if it feels like home or not. Many people feel immediately at home when they enter a certain house while others may be repulsed at the idea of living in a certain house.
You won't be able to see how you feel about a house until you walk through the door. You will also be able to see some of the house's amenities up close. For example, you'll be able to see if the countertops or floors are stained or if the cabinets are as sturdy as they look, and whether or not you might need to do some renovations on the house.
If you can't go to an open house for whatever reason, 3D tours also exist. While they're not as informative as house tours, they are the next best thing. They are much more informative than pictures alone and they can explore what the house has to offer without even having to get up out of your seat.
Once you tour through a few different houses, it should be easy to complete your homebuying wishlist.