What to consider before buying a new home ….
There is probably a very standardised checklist an estate agent can conjure for you and certainly a property surveyor about what to consider when buying a new home. But, I haven’t moved home in 13 years and I am just about to embark on the property hunting process.
How do I feel about this daunting task?
Well, I am nervous really about choosing a new home for me and mine. It feels just the biggest responsibility. Of course, whatever we find we will ensure we have a proper survey done.
Key for me though is the fact that my life is so busy and so full and I am so time short that I do not want there to be much work to do in our new home. I just want us to be able to move in and get on with life and decorate and do up as we go. So, in effect, it all needs to be pretty much all right from the very start.
There are some specific things that are on my checklist of needing to be in great order before I consider buying a house. This a checklist of stuff that is really important to us – not necessarily to everyone. I think knowing what matters to you as a family is really important before you go house hunting.
- Water! Water is really important to us – daily showers and constant laundry in my busy, sporty family mean we need to have an expansion vessel in place and working well. Expansion vessels ensure that there is high-pressure water flow throughout the home.
- Damp – I have some health issues that mean that damp can be a real problem for me. I am definitely after a damp free house!
- A fan in the kitchen and bathroom. My last house had neither and the kitchen would smell and the bathroom get humid and on occasion. Some kind of air con or fan in both the rooms would my checklist.
- A garden..some sort of garden that I can sit to relax is a deal breaker for me when considering a new home. I work from home and just have to be able to sit outside every now and again for a coffee, light and fresh air, My husband loves to grow things and my children play or read in the garden. It is a must-have on our list.
- A loft or garage space. We are pretty creative people and we have guitars and art stuff a-plenty. Having somewhere to store our stuff that takes pressure off the main house is pretty high on our checklist. It would need to be dry (not damp) and secure.
- Parking – we have 2 cars which we use daily. We need to be able to park easily and securely – not have way down the road.
- A hallway – I hate to walk straight into a living room so a hallway is an absolute for me!
- A study – for the last 13 years I have worked in a tiny corner of my kitchen, day in and day out. No more. I want and need a little study to work in and this is firmly on my list.
- Decent flooring is very important to me too, strong floorboards make me feel secure for some reason.
- A welcoming aura..okay I know this might sound a bit hippy-dippy but I want a home that feels welcoming, warm AND inviting. The aura it gives off is something that will impact us immediately. I know as it will impact everyone who visits us. I totally believe a home has a feeling and this ‘good feeling’ is just SO important to us. It will be the very first item on my checklist.
What would be on your checklist? What would you have to consider before buying a new home?
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