Finding a New Home: Three Important Questions Homebuyers Should Ask Themselves
Categories: Resources & Tips 1 Comment »If you’ve decided to embark on the journey toward homeownership, first we say: congratulations! The road you are about to take is an adventurous one, and you’re likely to learn much along the way about what matters most to yourself and to the other members of your household.
Through years of working with thousands of homebuyers, we have come to realize that there are three core questions that, if contemplated adequately and answered sincerely, can shape a buyer’s search for a new home in a positive and productive way by making their priorities, desires and needs crystal clear.
How much can I afford? This first question is one of the most essential, as it determines much about the style and location of the home you will eventually buy. While we may daydream about having unlimited money to spend on a lavish home, the reality is that most of us simply want a comfortable, safe and beautiful place to come home to at the end of each day. Established neighborhoods can be mixed in these regards, and the most well-situated and safe neighborhoods can sometimes be financially out of reach. Luckily, affordability in many new homes communities is very high, giving buyers the environment and amenities that they want, at a price easily accommodated by most budgets.
Where do I really want to live? The answer to this question, in conjunction with the answer to the first question, will set the boundaries of the area in which your new home will lie. If you’re lucky enough to be staying put in your current town, your search will be made infinitely easier by the familiarity you already have with different streets, neighborhoods and communities. For those whose journey will take them into new territory, consider what you like and dislike about your current location, and use those preferences to create a check-list of wants and needs that you can use to narrow down your choices. In both situations, keep in mind the places in which you work and play, so that you spend less time in your car, and more time in your life!
How much space will I need? Once the dictates of location and finance have been revealed, the details of the actual home can finally be considered. The central concern is, of course, how large of a home you will need to keep your household comfortable, and this may affect where you can and cannot buy. You may love the look and character of a street full of bungalows, but if you need four bedrooms and those homes only have two—you’ll simply have to move on. Buyers visiting new home communities such as those built by LGI Homes will have a bit more flexibility, since builders typically offer a number of different floorplans with varying square footage and numbers of bedrooms, meaning that the perfect home is almost always available in the community of your choice.
As you can see, these three simple but powerful questions reveal much about the factors that will shape your search for a new home. The sooner you can find the answers to these questions, the more smoothly your search is likely to be, and the happier you will find yourself once the new home has finally become your own!