If you are in the market for a house, you’ll likely want to make sure you have a roof that won’t leak, a solid foundation, proper wiring and so on. But what about the things not covered by the inspection? Sometimes it’s these less obvious factors that end up making the biggest impact on your day-to-day experience of a house — things like the quality of light, flow from room to room and the amount of time it takes to shovel the driveway. Here are the things to look for — and happy house hunting!
The ease with which you can move from indoor to outdoor living areas and back again can make a huge difference in your day-to-day experience of living in a home. If this is important to you, look for French, sliding or accordion glass doors leading from the main living spaces to the outdoors.
Not too big, not too small. Channel your inner Goldilocks to nail the just-right room size for your lifestyle. Imagine setting up your own furniture in the rooms as you walk through — bring measurements if you can.
Ask whoever does most of the cooking in your household to make a wish list for the kitchen. Does he or she prefer to work on a gas stove? A spacious kitchen with room for the gas stove, refrigerator and cabinets will make your culinary adventures more fun. Other things to consider in the kitchen could include its shape or layout, natural light, number of sinks, storage area and overall size.
This important part of the house is usually not given much importance by men. Kitchen is where you will end up spending a lot of time, if not now then in future. You will definitely thank us for this later!
You might think that this is not an important factor but it is an important part of your home which you will be starting your day with. Make sure all the necessary features and fixtures are in place (for example – a toilet paper roll holder if you use toilet papers or extra shelf space if you love your various bath products). Make sure it’s big enough and doesn’t have any water leakage or logging issues.
Need we even stress on the importance of the bedroom? It’s the room closest to your heart, make sure it is spacious, well ventilated and has adequate power connections. You don’t want all your wires to be criss-crossing across your room. A connected bathroom and balcony are good added bonuses to look for.
A home’s front door or exterior color may not be your preference, but don’t let this stop you from stepping inside. Doors can be changed, and the home can be painted to a color that’s more to your liking.
Your home might be on the main road in a prime location, but if it takes you hours just to get to the end of the street, it doesn’t make sense. Don’t worry about venturing a little further from your desired location if it grants you a calmer place with less traffic. Distance can always be compromised with speed and time.
When looking for homes, when you hear the long list of amenities that come with the home, it is a really happy feeling, but with great amenities come great maintenance costs. Don’t go overboard and get excited with what’s coming with the home. Look for homes with just the amenities you need so you don’t lose out on the facilities while at the same time you aren’t paying for the amenities you never use.
We don’t need natural light in our day and age but it is really important to have a naturally well-lit home. For one, it helps reduce energy consumption, but research has shown that sun light has positive effects on our body (for example releasing hormones that eliminate the drowsy feeling after you wake up). A naturally brighter home will give you a naturally happy environment to live in.
This is a big issue that independent home owners generally face. Many believe apartments are a safer option as they offer a tight community and more-often-than-not employ security guards to patrol the vicinity. There are however, villa townships being offered by many builders that grant you the lifestyle of an independent home owner along with the security features and personnel.
If you are a family person, look for townships or apartment projects that also accommodate a play area and gardens. It’s a menacing problem for people with kids in cities that they have nowhere to play and end up playing on the street which poses a great risk. Find a home where you can be at peace while your kids are out playing.
There are some neighbourhoods that are suitable for an active and social life and there are some that offer a calm and disturbance free environment. It’s up to the buyer to see which locality fits their need. If you take a home close to a college or university, be prepared to have some noisy/party friendly neighbours. If you are looking for a quiet and peaceful home, look for areas that are primarily occupied by families and not students or bachelors.Before finalising on a home, take a tour through the neighbourhood. If you are going to live in this house, you might as well get chatting with the neighbours. Good neighbours and close proximity to departmental stores will make your life a lot easier!
This is one advice that most home buyers miss out on and only realize it much after moving. Make sure there is adequate if not excess of storage space in the home you are looking to buy. Today you might not have a lot of furniture and stuff, but eventually the quantities will grow. Look for a home that can accommodate more than the stuff you already have so when you do move in and settle, you don’t have things lying all over your home like an obstacle course.
When it comes to homes, you might think the way it looks does not matter. But it does! If the paint is peeling off and the colour of the walls is grim and uninviting, it might not be the best choice. Keep these things in mind while looking at homes. If you find yourself thinking that you will re-decorate it later to suit your tastes, then add the additional expenses to the price of house to give yourself a fair idea of what the house is actually costing you. And if it wouldn’t be cheaper for you to pick a better looking one instead.
Two suitcases of clothes and a plasma screen TV might be all that you have when you move in… but it won’t be for too long. With the passing years, you are going to buy a lot more stuff. Does your future home have the storage space for all your future stuff? Look around the house. Check out for store rooms, cabinets and attics. Unless you want to live in a cramped and overcrowded home in the near future, extra space should be a point on your list.
Buying a home is a long term investment. Even if you do not have kids now, you might want to raise children someday in the future. For that reason, it is important to pick a home which is kid-friendly. A nurturing environment will help in the overall development of the kids. So look out for homes with backyards, proximity to good schools and parks, etc.
It seems silly to even consider this — until you buy a house and realize your car won’t fit in the ridiculously narrow driveway, or you have to shovel that extra-long driveway after a mega snow storm.
Let’s step outside the home for a bit. You’ve picked a prime location, we hope. But have you picked one which will suit your lifestyle and preferences? How close is your home to malls, coffee shops, and restaurants? Is there a gym nearby? Will you be able to pursue your likes and interests when you move into this place? Or will the distance keep you away? It is a good idea to go for a kid-friendly location but it is even more important that the location be best suited for you!
Have you taken note of these points? Keep them in mind on your next house hunting expedition!