New Year New Home
Buying a new home can be an overwhelming and scary task—but it doesn’t have to be. Selecting a new neighborhood to live and raise a family in can end up being one of the most fun and exciting decisions you get to make in your life. You also have a lot more power when it comes to making that decision than you might think.
A new neighborhood opens up an endless amount of possibilities, new adventures, and
friendships. One important factor for those who have children or are planning on having children in the near future is picking a neighborhood with quality schools. Even if you don’t have children—or yours are already grown up and out of your house—a neighborhood in close proximity to schools is a hot commodity and will help increase the value of your home over time.
Another thing to consider when picking a new neighborhood is the walkability. Living a short drive from parks, shops, grocery stores, and restaurants is one thing, but having the additional benefit of being able to walk to these attractions provides a good source of exercise, and is good for the environment. Neighborhoods with sidewalks are great and help keep you off the road and away from automobiles. Being able to walk or ride your bike to a nearby park is also a great activity to enjoy with your children. If you want some help in determining if a neighborhood is good for walking, check out the website WalkScore.com. You can find out the walk score rating of various neighborhoods, and get other useful information like crime and safety reports.
One final thing to consider when choosing a neighborhood is your commute. Nobody likes to be in their car longer than they have to, so mapping out how far away your new house is from your job could play a huge part in choosing if you want to live in a certain neighborhood. Take into consideration if you will need to get on any large freeways or busy roads during your drive. Finding a neighborhood that makes it easy to get to and from work will have you spending more time doing the things you love.
What to Look for When Selecting a House
Telling your realtor that you want a home with four bedrooms as opposed to just three is a
common request when searching for a new home to buy. But have you ever considered the
placement of these bedrooms? When trying to decide between what home to purchase,
consider the location of the four bedrooms. If you have young kids that need more attention, maybe you want your master bedroom to be on the same floor as your young child. Are your kids a little bit older and more independent? Then a house with bedrooms staggered on different floors could be the better option for you.
Another thing to consider when making a decision on a new home is the size of the yard. For younger adults with children, having a large backyard might be very important. It allows you to have some peace and quiet in the house, while your kids get to run, jump, and play outside. When selecting a new home, consider if you will be able to watch your kids from the comfort of your kitchen or living room as they play in the backyard. Having a clear view of the yard from inside the house will mean you will be able to stay inside and take care of household chores and still be able to keep an eye on your kids.
One final thing to consider when selecting a new home how move-in ready it is. Make sure you ask a lot of questions about the history of the home. When was it built? How many previous owners has it had? When was the roof last replaced? Getting your potential new home inspected and walking through it multiple times is a great way to know exactly what you are purchasing before you move in. Will the previous owners be leaving behind the appliances? Do you need to update cabinets or replace carpeting? Making sure you have a fully realized image of what your home will be like when you move in is important and will help you avoid feeling surprised by finding out something wasn’t what it seemed at first glance.
Reasons to Purchase a New Home
As you get older, acquire more possessions, and possibly start a family, that first home may start to feel cramped. Extra space you once had begins to fill up with boxes and new members of the family. That in-home office becomes a bedroom and the coat closet is now filled with random junk.
Purchasing a larger home with more space can help to alleviate this issue. But the opposite of this is true as well. Once your kids leave the nest, you may find yourself with too much house to manage. Why heat extra bedrooms when nobody sleeps in them? Why spend all day cleaning a 3,000 square foot home when it's just you and your spouse living there? Downsizing can be an extremely cost-effective solution as you get older. Plus, if you switch from a two-story home to a single story ranch, you will no longer need to make the trek up and down stairs all day! You will also have more free time and fewer maintenance costs with a smaller home. It may be hard to walk away from the home you children were raised in and all the memories you shared together, but a new home brings the chance to make new memories.
When considering moving into a new home, another potential sign that it may be to time to pack up your valuables and move them down the road is if the neighborhood you currently reside in starts to become less desirable. Like a home, a neighborhood can decline as well. Maybe the street you live on has had a string of recent break-ins. Maybe a local shopping center has just been built nearby and the traffic of cars and the noise of people have become unbearable at your current address. These could be good reasons to get out of your current neighborhood and find a new home that suits the lifestyle you deserve.
One more good reason to consider a new home purchase is if you keep pumping money into things that need to be fixed, like a roof or a leaky basement. Older homes need more upkeep, and that could be less than exciting. So instead of fixing the roof or updating the siding on your home, it might be a good idea to start checking out other options on the market. You can probably find something that is move-in ready and was built more recently than your current home.
