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What to look for when shopping for a home
09-13-2011
What to look for when shopping for a home
September 13, 2011
First-time home buyers may find it difficult to know where to start with their home search. Whether attending an open house or a private walkthrough, there are many aspects of home buying to keep in mind that important details can be easily lost by inexperienced home buyers.
These home buyers are particularly in danger of forming an inaccurate opinion, as they may lack experience evaluating homes. It may help them to sit down with a real estate agent and list the most important traits they are looking for in a home, such as the distance to a workplace or school, the number of bedrooms or the condition of the plumbing and electrical systems.
Floor plans
According to MarketWatch, a good place to start when evaluating a home is to examine the overall layout, including the number of rooms, their size, the number, size and location of the closets and the home's traffic patterns. If closets are too small or poorly located or the rooms are arranged inconveniently, home buyers may wish to keep looking.
Starting with the floor plan reduces the home to basics, making it easier to consider objectively and compare properties. Home buyers can also consider where they might place their furniture and any other items of significant size and think about the placement of electronic devices, keeping an eye on the locations of windows and electrical outlets in the process. When looking at windows, consider the natural lighting of the home.
MSN Real Estate notes home buyers should consider factors that can and cannot be changed when looking at the floor plan. For example, the location of the kitchen is fixed and if part of the home is a finished basement, the family may not want to locate a bedroom down there even if the previous owners did.
What to watch out for
MarketWatch recommends planning furniture arrangements beforehand to ensure that pieces will fit.
According to MSN Real Estate, some home buyers purchase homes with more space than they need without giving enough consideration to what the space will be used for or how they intend to fill it. This can lead to unused rooms while increasing the maintenance and utility costs of a home.
Home buyers should also look for hidden problems, such as water stains, damage under sinks or rugs, cheap or poorly done bathroom tile and any other characteristics that may mean additional expenses later. One expert noted an older home may be a better buy if the features are more durable and higher-quality.
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