Guest Article: Features to Look for When Buying a Home

Guest article courtesy of Doorfly.com

10 Most Important Features People Look for in Homes
Posted on January 30, 2011 by admin

From small families just starting out, to established families looking for something larger, each home buyer has his own list of must have’s. I trust my list will give you an idea of what to look for if you are embarking on that journey or about to anyway. Maybe you are in the planning stages ­- you are in a different town – you know what you want – however it may not be what you can afford. So research is a good beginning.

1. Closet space. Oh yes, us girls need our closet space. Yet not only do we have closet needs, the men in our life do as well. The boys for toys, the men for whatever else it is they need to store.
2. Is there outside storage? All our yard tools need a place of their own. “Everything must have a place, and everything must be in its own place,” my elders use to say. It is still true, so outside storage for garden tools, yard tools, or outside toys such as bicycles and baseballs must have a place to be stored.
3. Kitchen cabinets – enough to spare. I love my kitchen. However after lived here for 15 years, I just realized I need another drawer or two or three. I have a pantry, and plenty of cabinet space above the counter tops, yet there are 5 drawers and I have need of 5 more. Ah well!
4. Once a three bedroom 2 baths home was sufficient for growing families. And while it is still ample for some families, it might be something to take into consideration. Do you have company often? Do you have a guest bedroom? If so having a third bath for the guest bedroom is very important. On the other hand, would you need a guest bedroom? If so than more than three bedrooms should be in your plans.
5. Do you like a fireplace? To me, a fireplace conveys the picture of flickering flames, a cozy setting, the dog lying on the hearth, Mom in her bathrobe reading a book, and Dad reading the wall street journal with the children playing a game close by. OK! I woke up – maybe that isn’t what you see in a fireplace. Maybe what you see is a mess to have to clean up from the ashes and soot! Let’s go back to my first question of #5, do you like a fireplace? Then by all means put that in your list of a homes must have’s otherwise there are homes that have none.
6. With many people working from home, having a home office may be one of your priorities. An office doesn’t have to be as large as a bedroom, however it is according to what your needs are for a library in the study area is concerned.
7. I love my garage. At one time that question was asked by Automobile insurance people was if you had a garage. Not sure if they still do but it sure is nice to have one to pull into when it is raining, or even after dark where I feel safe to get out of the car when I’ve let the door down. Whether two car or three car garage if this is on your list of features, don’t settle for less.
8. Do you like the openness of a floor plan? How about windows? While windows may speak dollar signs due to having to cover them, the trend now is not so much shutting out the light as bringing it into the home. Count your costs and weigh them against the likes and dislikes of windows. Personally I love the natural light windows give, and also the view it gives me to look out over my own domain.
9. It goes without saying an Energy efficient home is important. Be sure to inspect or ask questions concerning insulated windows and upgrades to the insulation if the home you are looking at is an older more established home.
10. Then there is the one level versus multi-level home. Some prefer sleeping quarters to be upstairs and away from the living quarters. While Mom may see only the multi trips she will be making up and down the stairs on a daily basis. Another point is to consider the age of the purchasers. Stairs are not a good idea the older one gets, simply because of the dangers as well as agility.

This is my list, and hopefully you have added more to your needs. Someone said, when we fail to plan, we simply plan to fail. I’ll agree in that if we have no idea what we want in a home, other than a place to put our furniture and a have a roof over our head, then that is what we’ll get. It is too late to make a list six months after you have hung your hat and made yourself at home. _Doorfly.com

Al Fin's comment: This list appears to cater mainly to a woman's wants. A man would want shop space, plenty of available amperage in the power service, outdoor utility building(s), water supply and sanitation, good lot drainage and elevation above flood plain, solid construction, new roofing, outer sheathing finish with no need to paint frequently, no termites, etc etc. Other special requests such as hot tub, pool, outdoor game area, indoor game room, wet bar, catering-quality kitchen, etc. would depend on the nature of the residents.

Survival-oriented folks would consider road and overland access and egress routes as well as general defensibility. Ample clean, dry, cool underground storage is a big plus for preppers.

Originally published at Doorfly.com