Choosing Your 'Forever' Home: Important Things To Consider!
Are you hoping to find your ‘forever’ home? A property that you won't ever need to move from again- a place to raise your kids, and later on have be visited at by your grandchildren? Maybe you’re fed up of moving around, and want a home that you can really put down roots with, spend time decorating and renovating to your tastes without worrying about the resale value and generally making a home for life? It’s a great position to be in- here are some things to consider before making your purchase.
Does it have potential?
Finding the perfect house that ticks every box is probably going to be unlikely, so you need to go into a buying situation looking at potential. If certain things aren't exactly as you’d like them right now, can they be changed? View houses by looking at the bigger picture, rather than getting bogged down over the final details that can be changed.
What’s the area like?
It’s easy to get swept up when you fall in love with a beautiful house, but your decision should be about so much more than the actual property. Carefully consider the area too, the street and the wider area. Look into the crime rates and the general condition of the neighbouring houses. Consider if there are big roads nearby which could be dangerous to children or pets. Check to see if there will be any periodic noise such as a local school, train tracks or an airport. Don’t forget to consider what the transport links are like- how long will it take you to get to work, what schools are nearby, what parks, shops, libraries and other amenities that you might want or need are in the area? Build up a bigger picture of what your life will be like in the area the house is in to work out if it’s really what you’re after. Of course, there will always be compromises but you dont want to overlook something important and be disappointed later on.
Could you make changes to it?
Our home life changes over the years. We add children, and then children grow up and move out. Pets can come and go, and we might end up utilising cdpa and taking care of elderly relatives in our home later down the line. We might need to work from home, or decide to start a home based business- so many things can happen. Consider if the home you’re looking at will accommodate these changes. Could the layout be adapted to add more rooms? Is there space to extend if you need to? Is there space in the garden to add something like a garden room? Could you extend into the loft or the basement? You might buy a house that’s perfect for the way your life is set up now, but how will it fare when things inevitably change? If you don't want to have to move again and are set on finding your forever home then its worth considering how the property could be adjusted to what you need during different life stages.