| |
<
Go Back
Location, location, location
Information for Buyers
The three most important factors in finding the right home? Location, location, location. The location of your new home is critical. How far will you have to drive to work? How good are the local schools, shopping centers, public transportation, seniors' services, and other neighborhood amenities? Will your new neighbor be a vacant lot or a commercial property? Even a picture-perfect dream home can be a mistake if it's in an undesirable location, and a poorly located home can be a particularly bad choice if you anticipate reselling the home within a few years.
Check lists are a great way to remember what you like or don't like about the houses you see. Rather than relying on memory, make notes about the homes you visit. Turn your priorities into a personalized home-shopping checklist and use it to track the features of each home.
Feel free to open closets and cabinetry. Look in storage areas and crawl spaces. Most sellers provide information sheets about the home, and you can add your own notes to these fact sheets. It's easy to "fall in love" with a house, but before it becomes your home, you might want to "check off" these additional considerations:
- Will your furniture fit in the new spaces?
- Are there enough bathrooms to serve the needs of your family now and in the near future?
- Are there comfortable spaces for any overnight visitors?
- Is there plenty of storage space and is it easily accessed?
- Which schools serve this address? Are there other children in the area?
- How far is the home from work, school, or recreation?
- Will pets be comfortable in the new surroundings? Does the community have pet restrictions?
- What kind of repairs will be required right away? Will there be an excessive amount of ongoing maintenance required?
- How old are the heating, cooling, and roofing systems, and are they in good working order?
- Is the home protected against unexpected repairs by a home warranty plan?
|
|
.jpg)
