Buying A New Home With Designer’s Insight —
Alrighty then – it’s that time of year to get outside, start thinking about the school year’s end. It’s also the moment to take advantage of the perfectly planned window for buying your next swoon-worthy home. Spring gets us all in prep-mode. As most of us are aware, market inventory heats up, giving us more options to suit our wish lists. But what to look for and how to feel secure in this big decision? Turnstyle helps a lot of home buyers with the decision of buying a new home. Let us break it down for you from the designer’s point of view.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A NEW HOME…
LISTEN TO YOU:
Fortunately buying a new home is usually somewhat of a slow-burn process. Because it’s such a big decision, you’ve no doubt been pinning style favorites and having internal heart to hearts on what type of home you envision for yourself and your family. Don’t let that go to waste. As you round up realistic contenders, don’t let defeat or frustration sway you. Make a list of your top four (4) non-negotiables and keep to your preferences. Once you own the home that represents them, they’ll keep pleasing you anew every day.
STUDY-UP:
Get to know what key features define your beloved favorite home style. If it’s traditional, understand what qualifies as a traditional home. Know about shutters, brick or wood construction and richer, more elaborate moldings and trim. If it’s modern you seek, get to know the shifts from the mid-50s to the 60s and 70s. Find which version of “modern” this means to you. Maybe it’s actually contemporary and not modern you prefer. If you know your subject-matter well, you’ll easily be able to know a gem when you see one.
MAKE IT COUNT:
Your family’s needs must come first. Since a home has to suit that all important next phase in your life AND hopefully make the everyday things a little easier, know your list. When buying a new home, it’s easy to get swayed by something idyllic. But don’t forget the things that are important to you for the long haul. Walk into every home you’ve short-listed with a solid understanding of how well the needs of your list are actually met. Then step back, allow for objectivity to set in and review once more. If you know stairs are your Achilles heel when it comes to doing laundry, rethink the home with multiple one floors. If lack of a playroom is frustrating you now, make sure you can clearly see an area that can easily become a play-space one day. Of course one must always be prepared to compromise. But as long as you are aware and deliberate when analyzing your non-negotiables, you’ll purchase a home with eyes-wide-open – not shut.
GET CREATIVE AND GET PRO ADVICE:
If you’re serious about one or two homes in particular, but still feel some doubt, take the time to walk through with a professional. Any designer or contractor worth his or her salt can easily give you real-time information on where you can truly take said home and what’s worth it value and time wise. Renovation can help you get a house where you need it to be and a pro can confirm any realistic path. It’s a small and worthy investment to ensure you get it right the first time. If you’ve got concerns about the cost of such a renovation then you can always consider home improvement loans to help you out and conduct the improvements that you want to make – in the knowledge that you have a financial plan in place to afford your desired changes. If you only want to make a few small changes, bear these in mind before buying the property. For example, if you want to get a shed installed in the backyard, you’ll have to consider things like space and shed base installation. Get creative but think practically!
If you’re looking for a new home and would like some advice, be sure to contact us about our service. Our principle designer, will walk through your home options with you to help you envision the home’s potential for your needs. This service has aided several of our clients in buying a new home. More importantly it has helped in choosing the house they now love to call home.
AGE A LITTLE BEFORE BEAUTY:
I get this question so often, I should almost post something just on this topic! When a home was built is a great first indicator of how easy it’s going to be on you going forward. When reviewing listings, keep the following in mind. Most homes built before the mid-1980s are typically strong contenders for quality construction. This is bar any previous homeowner abuse or neglect, of course. The turn into the middle part of the eighties marked the need for faster, more cost effective construction. So homes began to rise up faster, more efficiently and therefore with somewhat less attention to detail. A home prior to the mid-eighties, still more often than not, carries with it the care of good home-building and solid craftsmanship.
HISTORY – ITS STORY MAKES A BETTER YOUR STORY:
Know who you are buying from. In my view (and certainly in my experience), it matters from whom you are carrying over the baton. Previous homeowners that have raised a family and lived in the home for a solid lifetime, are typically indicative of having loved and cared for the home the way you would hope. Conversely, if a home has had a lot of turnover in recent years, that can tell you a lot about inconsistent care.
Buying a new home is big. With these tools in hand, you are ready to start down the dreamy path of future-next. Enjoy and happy home-buying!
