How to Choose the Right Home

For first-time buyers and repeat buyers alike, the decision to make an offer on a home is both exciting and a little scary. If your offer is accepted, the place youā€™ve chosen will be your home for the next several years. Not only should you feel emotionally satisfied by your choice, but you should also feelĀ financially comfortable that youā€™re buying a home that you can afford and that you feel confident will hold onto its value or hopefully increase in value over the years.

While no one can know for sure what will happen to housing values, if you make the choice to buy a home that meets your needs and priorities youā€™ll be happy to live in it for years to come.

Neighborhood or Home Amenities

For some homebuyers, living in a particular neighborhood takes precedence over all other priorities, but for others, the home itself matters more. Ideally, youā€™ll find the perfect home in the neighborhood you love at a price thatā€™s below your budget, but realistically, most people have to make some compromises.

You (and your spouse, partner or family) should make a list of what features you want in a home, such as the number of bedrooms, a fenced yard, granite counters in the kitchen, and then rank them in terms of priorities. Think about whether the house or the community matter more to you, and whether itā€™s worth it to you to make a longer commute in order to live in a home with a larger lot.

When to Compromise

Once youā€™ve determined whether the location or the house itself matters most, you may have to compromise on some of your priorities. If the location is the most important factor for your home choice but you find that homes are priced above your budget, you can compromise in several ways:

  • Look for a different home type within the community, such as a smaller single family home, a town home or condominium. Decide if you can live with one less bedroom or other features on your list.
  • Consult with a lender or a financial planner to discuss your options for increasing your budget. While no one should overspend on a home, you should recognize that going $10,000 above your price range when youā€™re financing your purchase with a 30-year fixed-rate loan will actually add only about $30 to your monthly payment.
  • Lower your expectations about the condition of the home. While everyone prefers a move-in ready home, you can often get a better deal on a home that needs some cosmetic repairs. Be careful, though, to have a home inspection and to evaluate the structure of the home to see that it meets your needs. Moving walls and adding a bathroom are costly renovations, while painting and replacing appliances are more reasonable.

If you have your heart set on a specific home style or a home with a larger yard for your children or to garden, your compromise is more likely to be in the location. If youā€™re willing to commute farther or perhaps choose a home in a community next to the ā€˜hotā€™ neighborhood, you can often find a more affordable home that fulfills your wish list.

An experienced Realtor can help you determine when and how to compromise and should take the time to show you a variety of alternatives so you can make an informed decision about when to make an offer.

Comments

48 responses to “How to Choose the Right Home”

  1. Sabrina Addams Avatar

    I loved your tip to have you and your family make a wishlist of the things you each want in a home, rank them, and then learn how to compromise on the best option for your family as a whole. Our three kids are now all either in high school or middle school, so we want to move so that each can have his or her own room and space. I think that writing down our top priorities for a residential real estate home and getting help to find something with those would be awesome.

  2. Greta James Avatar

    Over the New Year holiday, I was talking to my godfather. His New Year’s resolution was to find a home that fits his needs! I am so excited for him to start looking. I will have to tell him about your tip to set a list in terms of priority so you can rank and compare homes.

  3. Oscar Morrison Avatar

    I appreciate your idea of ranking which features are most important to us as we look for a home. We’re having trouble finding something that fits all of our requirements within our price range at the moment. If we’re still struggling with it, we might have to sacrifice some of our lower priorities so we can find a place that fulfills what’s most important to us.

  4. Taylor Anderson Avatar

    I like how you mentioned that one may have to compromise certain qualities in a home to meet your priorities. One of my friends was wanting to buy a home. These tips could really help her buy a home, so thank you for sharing them.

  5. Jay Jorgenson Avatar

    I want to live away from the neighborhood but I’m afraid my children will miss their neighborhood friends. I like how you mention that you and your family should decide whether the house or the community matters more. Thank you for the advice. I’ll contact a professional for advice on which home to buy for my family and me.

  6. Rosie Beckett Avatar

    It is interesting that you talk about the importance of finding a great home but also thinking about the neighborhood and amenities it has to offer. In my opinion, it is important that the home my husband and I buy is close to a nice school as well as a park. This way I am making a good investment not only for me but for my future children.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hey Rosie, yes it is always smart to think ahead for future whether it be that you plan on expanding your family or just for resale value. Hope this helps!

  7. Thomas Peterson Avatar

    I like that you mentioned that for some homebuyers a particular neighborhood has precedence over other options. I have been looking into single-family home sales and would love to find a good neighborhood to raise kids in. I’ll have to keep some of these other tips in mind as well in the search for a new home.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Glad to help!

  8. Johnny McCarron Avatar

    I like how you mentioned finding that balance between a particular neighborhood or just finding the right home. I know that for my wife and I, we want to live in a good home with plenty of growing room. We’re sure we can make friends anywhere we go, so the neighborhood isn’t as important.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Couldn’t agree more

  9. Sandra Patterson Avatar

    I really like what you said about wanting to be sure that the house you make an offer on should have you feeling emotionally satisfied and financially comfortable. My sister has been looking into buying a new house, but I am really worried that she is looking into houses our her price range. I’ll forward this article and hopefully that will help her avoid financial stress down the line.

  10. Ellie Davis Avatar

    Thank you for these tips on buying a house. My husband and I need to buy a new home. I’ll have to do some research and find the best houses in my area.

  11. Ellie Davis Avatar

    I’m wanting to buy a home and need to find one that I love. Thank you for pointing out that I should look at different types of home in the area I want. I’ll have to keep this in mind as I search for the right home for me.

  12. Taylor Bishop Avatar

    Thanks for this advice for picking a home. I appreciate that you explained it could be good to make a list of features of what you want in a home. It sounds important to keep the list simple and basic, especially if some features you can think of aren’t necessary for a home.

  13. Ellie Davis Avatar

    My husband and I are expecting our third child and really want to buy a home before she is born. Thank you for suggesting that we should make sure and make a list of things we each want in a house before we shop around. I’ll have to make a list and look into finding the best house for us.

  14. Ellie Davis Avatar

    My husband and I are wanting to move our family to a bigger house and want to make sure we find the best one possible. Thank you for suggesting that we should make a list of what we want in a house together. I’ll have to do this and then look into finding the best house for us.

  15. Kit hannigan Avatar

    I really like your tip about making a list of all the important features that your ideal home should have such as the number of bedrooms and yard features, and then ranking them in terms of priority levels. Personally, I value peace and quiet above all else. That will definitely make my job as a home-based, freelance writer a lot easier.

  16. Frank Delaware Avatar

    A friend of mine just had his first child, and they think it might be time to move into an actual home. I really like that you say to look at the different home types within the community to see which will better suit your needs. Since he does plan to have a few more kids, they will definitely have to see if there is a good school district in the area as well.

  17. Olivia Pearson Avatar

    I like how you mentioned that when looking to buy a home, it’s important to think about the specific features that you want, such as the number of bedrooms, a yard, or a certain type of countertop, and rank them in terms of priorities. I think it’s crucial for one to know what they want before buying a home that may compromise on some of those desired features. My niece and her husband are looking to buy their first home, but they aren’t sure how to determine good real estate. After reading this article, I’ll definitely have to recommend that they determine their dream house, and everything they would want in it, and look for a real estate agent in their area that can offer a variety of homes, that they may find what they most want, for an affordable price.

  18. Ellie Davis Avatar

    I really like that you suggest that you and your spouse should make a list of things you want in a home and then prioritize them. My husband and I are looking for a bigger house for our family and want to make sure we get the right one. I’ll have to make sure and do some research and hopefully, we can find the best house for us.

  19. Amy Winters Avatar

    Thanks for suggesting that we make a list of features we want in the home or neighborhood, and then rank them by how important they are to us. My husband and I are looking for a new home, and it can be really overwhelming if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. I think we could really benefit from listing our priorities, so thanks for sharing that advice!

  20. Arya Smith Avatar

    I like that you suggested having an inspection done before choosing a house to ensure that it meets your needs. I will share this tip with my sister since she is the one who will be buying a house next year. From what I know, she would really love to have a house with a usable attic because she has always planned to transform an attic into a office space for her.

  21. Ellie Davis Avatar

    I really like that you suggesting consulting with a financial planner before renting a home. My husband and I are needing to rent a home and want to make sure we find the best one for us. I’ll have to do some research and hopefully, we can find a house that is perfect for us.

  22. Taylor Anderson Avatar

    I like how you mentioned that one should make a list of all the features they want in a home and rank them. My friend recently had a baby, so she and her husband are looking to buy a bigger home. These tips will really help them find a great home, so thank you for sharing this article.

  23. Joy Butler Avatar

    My friend is a single mom and she’s living with her only daughter as well as her mom. She’s looking for a place for the three of them. I advised her to just get a single family home since her mom is into gardening. And besides, it will be a better playground for her daughter.

  24. Millie Hue Avatar

    I love that you suggested listing down the things that we would want in a home and rank them according to the most needed feature. I think this will help us a lot in choosing the perfect house for our personality. Actually, this will be useful for me and my husband because we are total opposites. He is a very sporty guy, while I am a book nerd. So I can imagine that he will be prioritizing the yard while I would love to have a library.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hey Millie,
      Glad to hear you found this helpful and thanks for your input!

  25. Millie Hue Avatar

    I totally agree when you suggested listing down the features you want from a property, and I love that you mentioned that it should be ranked according to priorities. I will definitely do that to help me and my husband find the home that we would really love. We have been having difficulty in finalizing what we really wanted for our future house, and we never thought about writing it down. So thanks for the tip!

  26. Millie Hue Avatar

    My favorite part of this article is when you talked about being aware of the community first before settling for the house in that location. Like you said, it is important to consider whether the community is more essential to your family than the duration of the commute when picking a home. It really helped because it will make a difference since my husband and I would really love to live in a place where people are close to each other. Especially my husband, he is such a people person, so he would really appreciate being close with his neighbors. Thanks!

  27. Candice Eisenhower Avatar

    You made a good option in considering your preferred amenities as well as the type of environment you will be residing in choosing a home. It’s no joke to make a huge investment like buying a home and you have to be sure that everything in it is something that you really like to refrain from having regrets. My husband and I are looking to find a new place close to our sons’ school and we will take our options from there. Since we are no experts in the area, we will consider hiring a real estate agent to help us find a single family home with competitive pricing.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hi Candice,
      Glad to hear you found this helpful and thanks for your input!

  28. Ellie Davis Avatar

    I like where you suggest looking for a different home type from the rest of the community. My husband and I are wanting to buy our first home. We want to find a real estate agent to help us get the best home for our budget.

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hey Ellie,
      Glad to hear you found this helpful and thanks for your input!

  29. Tammy Houston Avatar

    I appreciate it when you suggested listing down the things that we would like our new home to have and rank them in accordance to what’s most and lest important to know when we should and should not compromise. That is a tip that I will surely write down as I am currently confused and wondering how I can find the perfect home for me. I wanted a single-family home, but that was the only thing that I have in mind. I am glad I came across this article. Thanks!

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hi Tammy,
      Glad to hear you found this helpful and thanks for your input!

  30. Julius Amberfield Avatar

    I have been meaning to buy a house for my family for a while now, but I have not actually started with the search yet because I do not know where to begin. It was good that I came across this article because I learned that in order to narrow down the search and pick the right house, it’s a good idea to write down the things that I would like the house to have and rank them according to their significance. I will surely give this a try considering that it seems writing my preference down is fairly easy yet helpful at the same time. I will have to think about what I want my future home to have the first though. Thanks!

    1. Craig Grant Avatar
      Craig Grant

      Hi Julius,
      Glad to hear you found this helpful and thanks for your input!

  31. Sharon Wilson Smith Avatar

    I also agree that location is the most important factor for a home choice. My husband and I are planning to buy a house with an ideal location and good amenities. We’ve been thinking of the other things to consider when buying a house and this article helps a lot. Thanks for the ideas!

  32. Gloria Durst Avatar

    I agree that the neighborhood is really important when choosing a home. It would make sense to find somewhere that will be good for your family before you move. I’m looking for a new home, so I’ll have to consider the school district and neighborhood as well.

  33. Finley Moreira Avatar

    I like how you pointed out that possibility of needing to compromise on some of your priorities when finding a good home. I’ve read elsewhere that making a physical list of needs and wants is a great way to visualize what things you can compromise on. I tend to get picky, so this would be a good way to ensure I don’t pass up on a good home by being too picky about the amenities it offers.

  34. Tomas Killington Avatar

    My wife and I are in the market for a new home. There are a few traits we want in our new house, but we’re not sure what other things we should look for. I didn’t realize how important it is to find out what amenities are offered int he neighborhood to ensure you are close to all the things you like to do. I’ll be sure to remember this consideration moving forward.

  35. Annika Larson Avatar

    Choosing a home is definitely a big decision, and it’s important to make the decision that will benefit your family. I am currently trying to find a home for my little family, and it’s hard to find something that fits for location and budget. Your suggestion to look at different home types, such as a single family home, is very helpful. We’ll have to do this. Thanks for sharing!

  36. Frank Delaware Avatar

    My friend is thinking about getting a home for his family, but he wasn’t sure how to choose the right one. I really like that you say to consider what is most important, then compromise. It would be nice to find something in a good location and then maybe get a smaller house.

  37. Rachel Lannister Avatar

    My husband and I are looking for a home where we can raise our children. In your article it says that you should consider things like number of bedrooms, fenced yard, and what the kitchen is like. We already have a couple of dogs, so a fence is already a mandatory item on our list. I’ll be sure to tell my husband about these features we should consider.

  38. Jen Pack Avatar

    My husband and I have decided that now is a great time in our personal situation, as well as our financial situation, to buy a single family home. However, we want to make sure that we’re picking the best one for us and our needs, so I really appreciate this information. I like the tip you give of making a list of features that we really want to see in a home before we start looking. This also includes what we want in the community and design of the house. I think we will have the best luck if we hire a real estate agent that knows the areas we are looking at and can negotiate for us.

    1. admin Avatar
      admin

      Your welcome Jen, happy it helped out and happy house hunting!

  39. Jasper Whiteside Avatar

    I think that an important step in compromise is prioritizing. The article gives the example that location would be what matters most. It would be easy to decide what you are willing to compromise on if you’ve prioritized the bottom of your list and know what you are willing to give up.

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