How do you know what you’re looking for?

Here’s a helpful checklist to give you some ideas.

Let’s run through a fun scenario. Let’s imagine you and your partner are relocating to this nice Northern California community and need to find a home. Or your family is growing and you need a larger home. This checklist also works if you are a couple whose chicks have left the nest and you now need to downsize. Regardless of your situation, you’ve decided a change is necessary. In all these cases, how do you know what to look for?

First set up three categories of priorities: what the home must have, what you would prefer and what you would be willing to be flexible on.

For the building itself are you looking for a single story home or one with two levels? What kind of square footage? Is the year it was built important? What about whether or not it has been recently updated? Is it important to you that it be move-in ready or are you good with a “fixer-upper?” Do you need the home to have a garage? One car or two?

Does the property need to have a yard? Front yard and back yard? Size of yards? Do you want the property to have fencing? What about patios and/or decking? Do you need to have a home that has a pool? Space to park an RV? Would a property that has outbuildings such as a shop or storage shed increase its interest for you?

How many bedrooms do you want? How many bathrooms? Is an indoor laundry room important? What about a den or office space? Do you want a dining area or is a breakfast nook sufficient? Does your lifestyle dictate that the home have a formal dining area? A formal living room? Do you need a great room?

What about flooring? Is carpeting important to you or are you looking for hardwood floors? Would dual pane windows be a must have?

Is a fireplace important? What are your requirements for heating and air? Septic or sewer? City water or well?

Once you’ve made a preliminary list of the must haves, the what you’d prefer and what you would be flexible on, take a look at the current market and see what is available. When you’re ready to do some serious house searching, find a realtor you can trust. With a real estate agent to guide you, look online and visit open houses. See what “must haves” may need to be moved to the “flexible” category. Your realtor can help to narrow down your favorite areas of town based upon what you want in a new home.

Home buying can seem a daunting task. However, if you hone in on what is most important to you it will make shopping for a new home more enjoyable.

Emmett and Kim Jacobi, The Jacobi Team, can help you develop a checklist that highlights and includes exactly what you want in a new home. Contact them today to begin a conversation.