Throughout my many years of experience in working with home buyers in the Columbus metropolitan area, I’ve noticed that many people begin their property search and focus on what they “want.” They take little consideration into what they really need in order to be happy in a home. It’s understandable that we’d get caught up in the amenities a property has to offer. After all, doesn’t a five-car garage, home theater or in-home sauna sound amazing? It’s easy to let yourself be blinded by these luxurious perks and to forget some obvious issues with a home.
So, what is it that you should be focusing on? I thought that I’d quickly outline a few things that you should consider before making an offer on a home. All of them are need-based. In my experience, if you focus more on needs and less on wants, you’ll have less of a likelihood of experiencing buyer’s remorse after purchase. Here are things that you could ask yourself as you start a house search:
• Am I planning on starting or growing a family? Your future plans should play a role in the size of the home that you buy. You don’t want to find yourself with too much or too little house to live in.
• Can I make monthly payments on this home? Remember, your monthly expenses include more than just a mortgage. You have to take into account your living expenses, homeowner’s insurance, taxes and your other bills. It’s important to have an idea of what your budget is outside of just the mortgage, because it will help you figure out how much home you can really afford.
• Is the neighborhood conducive to my needs? You could have the fanciest, most amazing house to ever hit the Columbus real estate market, but if you don’t like the town you live in then you’ll never be completely happy. You should absolutely focus on the environment a home is in just as heavily as you do on the property itself.
You’ll likely notice that all of these things are far more related to what you need in a lifestyle than what you want in a home. This is the wisest, most successful approach to take when house-hunting. Sure, it’s easy to be tempted by what we really want. The prospect of living in a home with the amenities that you’ve always dreamed of having can be too great to pass up. Once you settle in and start living “the dream”, however, you’re going to regret your choice if all of your needs aren’t meant.
Feel free to contact me today with questions about buying a home. I’d be happy to help you in any way that I can. Happy house-hunting!
Andrew Show
Buyer’s Resource Realty Services
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