Making A Home Buying Checklist Is Key To Finding The Right Home
For homebuyers, it’s helpful to create a list to keep focus on your search fo home. The list should be 5-8 non negotiables for your search. Some potential elements to include in your chart include:
- Location
- Price Point
- Bedrooms, Baths, and Size
- Age/Condition
- Features/Amenities
The criteria on the Home checklist can change but should really the criteria that matters for you to find and tour homes you want and not use your time looking at “everything.” Focusing on finding and touring the right home that meets your checklist, will prepare you to make an offer when you find the right one.
What to Include on Your Home Checklist
There are a number of factors you might consider for your wants and needs checklist. Here are some examples of criteria I recommend on your list:
- Location. Desired school districts, proximity to work, and closeness to friends or family is a big need for most home buyers.
- Price Point. Naturally, you’ll want to consider price. Getting your finances or pre-approved for a mortgage can help you determine just how much you can afford to spend on your next home.
- Bedrooms. Bath, and Size. Chances are, you have some idea of how many bedrooms you will need, whether or not you require room for a home office, etc. Knowing the square footage of your current home can help you better estimate the space requirements of your new place.
- Age/Condition. You may be searching for an older home you can spruce up and make your own. Or, you may want something that’s newer and in good condition.
- Features and Amenities. Things like a pool or a big finished basement may or may not factor into your thinking, but they are at least worth considering.
I recommend you create the checklist with your agent. That way you will be able to see if the criteria on your list as criteria can be delivered by the home search your agent should and will provide.
