You're buying new house..what are you looking for? Update pg 5.

[North of Mouse]

OP, after another post of yours giving more info ---
I would 'never' be able to buy a home when my dh was not right there - skype would not do it for me. No wonder you are nervous!!

 

[nkereina]

Location is one of the few things you cannot change about a house, so to me, that should be priority. I would consider lot size (how close are your neighbors), school district (if applicable), and taxes to be the main things of concern. We have a new build and taxes are extraordinarily high in our area. Had we moved to an area with cheaper taxes, we could have afforded a more expensive house.

I'd also avoid a homeowner's association if you can. We belong to one know and the good part about it is that it forces people to maintain their properties, which ultimately helps property value, which of course is good for resale. But the HOA ultimately is more of an annoyance - an extra step when wanting to add something like a fence or deck, creates a divide in the neighborhood since neighbors are often arguing with board members, etc. It would just be easier without one, IMO.

 

[FINFAN]

Ideally for me would be the lots of windows on the east and west sides of the home in the areas that will have a lot of time spent in them (kitchen, family room)..basically a LOT of windows and ones that are EASY to clean. We have *true divided light* wood windows. The kind that have the actual grid made of wood as a solid piece to the frame. PITA to clean and blocks light. I feel like I am in a prison. Our kitchen and family room windows face North, big mistake for a sun lover. If building, choose a lot and floor plan that will work with your preferences. You can always redecorate or make interior changes much cheaper than structural ones or adding windows/skylights etc. I would literally spin my house around if I could, basically we bought on the wrong side of the street lol, but DH wanted all the trees on the lot we did choose (not that HE rakes the leaves) I also had extra outlets put in and WISH we had ceiling fixtures. DH vetoed THAT too...and our nice North facing , dark home is even darker thanks to no overhead lighting. I would think about what rooms you use now and why you like them instead of every detail etc. It took 2-3 years in our place before I could narrow down what type of furniture would work etc for how we used each room. A LOT of trial and error happened(STILL happening lol) because it will be your home, not a model home. Basically, DH and I should have bought a Duplex as our styles are so different~my creature comforts and his are 100% opposite and it makes for some tough living style, esp on a budget lol. Try not to stress too much, things will go wrong, you will change your mind, cost will dictate what you like vs what you can get, and even though you are buying a place, as long as your DH is on board you sell if no longer care for it. Not as easy as moving at the end of a lease but people buy and sell everyday. Heck, my DD's boyfriends folks have moved 5 times in the last 10 years, purely by choice.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We have bought 2 houses, and much like the husband, I just knew it when I saw it! I go a lot by the feel of the house too. I kinda think houses have personality, I need to feel that comfortable safe feeling. I haven"t felt it in very many houses! Some were just a no when I walked in the door. (maybe that is just me LOL)

Absolutely! When I walked into both my first house and this one, I just knew.

...A good school district, even if you don't have children. If you have to sell down the road a good school district can help with resale...

I don't really agree with this for non-parents who intend to keep the house for a long time. School district ratings change, and by the time you sell, it may be totally different.

Before buying our house, we drove thru the neighborhood on weekends to see if people were outside playing with kids etc. That was important to me.

We did that too!

Make a list of what you liked about all the houses you've lived in. Large living area? Master downstairs? Large laundry area? 2 car garage? Large yard? No yard?

Once you have a list of what you liked in the homes you've lived in, highlight the things that you feel are a must in your 'dream' home. For me, I would keep the list around 5 'must haves', another 5 'would be nice'.

Excellent advice!

Tell me what you are looking for in a house. New Build? Already established house? Renovated? I'm not fixing anything up. It needs to be turn key ready to live in. What are the major wants/needs you would want in new home?

If I had unlimited funds and time, I'd work with an architect to design it and have it built, but in reality, we went with already established homes. We're not the fixer-upper type either. And, like you, the commitment overwhelmed me at times!

We really don't plan on leaving our current house anytime soon, but if we were, the things on our "must have list" would be:
separate heat/AC zones - right now, we have to make the downstairs too chilly in the summer to make the upstairs cool enough to sleep
more storage - I would really like a dedicated room on the main floor where I can store Christmas decorations, rarely used items, etc. I'm sick of hauling things up and down from the attic!
(I would also have a library instead of a formal living room, but I will likely actually make that change someday in this house.)

Things we looked for and were happy with in the past:
open layout (just my preference)
1 1/2 or 2 bathrooms (I wanted a back-up, nut didn't want to clean more than two.)
the quality of light (I need lots of bright windows, and ceiling lights, to be happy!)
lots of outlets (learned between first house and thins one)
plenty of closet and cabinet space

Also consider whether you want a dedicated guest room or home office, garage, large or small yard, etc.

 

[Hikergirl]

I'm pretty easy. Aside from location, I want a large kitchen, ample storage and no need for major projects to be done, like new roof, windows, siding, new furnace etc. I don't mind doing renovations so I look more at bones of the house rather than what it comes with. I wouldn't mind it coming with what I would "put in" but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if it didn't.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

For our first house, I had the opposite problem. I could see us living in every house we looked at, fixer-upper or not. There was only ONE house where we walked through and I thought to myself, there is NO WAY I would ever live here.

That's the house we bought Because it was move-in ready. We paid way too much and the house was way too small. But it was what DH wanted, and we were in our early 20's and I had no idea how to do much more than hang curtains and he knew he would be the one fixing things when they broke.

The 2nd house, we built in a new sub in the country, honestly, before we were really ready for the commitment of a house more than twice the size and almost an acre lot. I would never do that again, either, unless I had a $30,000 contingency fund. We just figured we would do things a little bit at a time instead. Big Mistake! It took us forever to do the landscaping to our liking, and pour a patio, and we were nickel and dimed for everything down to the towel bars in the bathroom. Nothing was "pre-done"

Our 3rd house was (is) an updated 1950's Cape Cod in an established neighborhood. It was really cool because everything was done - the paper towel holder was installed on the door of the cabinet, the rack/shelf was above the dryer, the cable connections were already in place, the retaining wall was already around the flower beds. It was really kind of nice to just move in and have all of that done. But it is a 1950's Cape Cod, so the kitchen is tiny and the dining room table is in the same room as the living room, and since it's not really an "open concept" great room, it looks ridiculous.

What we looked for in each house changed depending on where we were in life at the time:

House #1 - It was just the two of us, kids were a long way off. We wanted move-in ready and low maintenance. New furnace, hot water heater, and roof.

House #2: We had a 2-year old and were looking to have more kids. We wanted bigger size, new, good yard, and safe area

House #3: 3 school-aged kids, bad economy forcing a move to a new state. We looked at school districts first, housing second. We took what we could get. It's not the house I would have picked, but it IS in one of the top school districts in our state and the house was one of the only ones for sale in our price range that was move-in ready, so we jumped on it.

House #4 - TBD....we are moving again in a few months. We are researching school districts as I speak. Again, with school-aged kids, we will pick district over house. Like now, we will make do with the house so the kids can go to school in top-rated schools. Once all of the kids are in college and beyond, DH and I plan to move into a condo. When that time comes, it will be about value for the money first, decent area a close second. We won't be worrying about school districts at that point.

 

[PlutoPony]

Don't think it's unusual to have "commitment issues" lol with a first house. Looking at homes can really give you an idea of what you want - or can live without. It takes a bit of looking to get the lay of the land, see what's out there in your price range then decide if you want to up your price range to get something that just doesn't exist for what you want to spend. So many compromises to make and it's hard to know what to comprise on until you know the trade offs.

My first concern would be for things that can't be changed (even though I know you don't want to have to renovate). To me that means location, lot, and general style of the home. If you love contemporary with lots of wood and windows, don't buy a colonial - that type of thing. Location means not just where it is but what's in the general area around it. At one point/location a lot of friends bought in areas that had a lot of nice farmland surrounding the developments. Lovely setting and they were assured that the land had been in the family for generations, would always be farmed. Yep - you guessed it, sold out to developers and some friends later had an apartment complex behind them. What are long term plans for roads in the area? And for resale value, are you in a decent school district, doesn't have to be TOP but fairly stable and good. Lot is pretty self explanatory, but typically has a direct correlation to price paid.

Past that, I'd keep it to just a few "must haves" that really mean something to you - it will give you a lot more flexibility to look around and know it's the right house. For us that would be good 2 car garage, kitchen with a layout that works for me and adequate storage, a mud room (omg i so wish we had that), ranch or first floor bedroom, double sink vanity in master bath. Nice to have would be good sized 2nd/3rd bedrooms and a tranquil, useful sunroom for relaxing. Think carefully about how much house you want vs need - that's a really personal decision.

Finally, I'm not a fan of falling in love with a house. Makes it way too easy to overspend and buy something that can have iffy resale. Liking it a lot is enough. I don't define myself by house but I know people who do . And I can't tell you how nice it is to not overspend, and end up with no mortgage before you retire!

Good luck - keep us posted!

 

[rastahomie]

A basement is non-negotiable. I've lived through enough tornadoes to know how vital is is to be underground. And although tornadoes aren't common in this part of Missouri, they aren't unheard-of, either.

Two bathrooms would be at the top of the list, although our current place only has one and we seem to manage.

A fireplace would be nice, too. We have a wood-burning stove in our basement that we never use.

 

[JessM]

Hopefully this will help a bit. I currently own a 2 bedroom condo but it's too small for my DBF and I. We are looking to build this summer, this is our thought process/wish list. We are 27 and 28, one dog, no kids yet but are planning on it. We are going back and forth between a forever home and a starter home. It will depend on our end budget but we are close to having enough for the forever home.

Build/Buy: We are planning on building to have something turn key, energy efficient and exactly how we want it (ie no work, including painting to do). In our area building is running close to buying and DBF travels for work EVERY week and I travel monthly/bi weekly so weekend projects just aren't realistic. We also have a substantial down payment so we are confident we can pick up add ons or unexpected costs while building. We also like the idea of custom designing the home for our needs. For example, neither of us are tub people so a bigger shower in the master bath and forgoing the tub would be great. DBF and his friends like to play guitar and drums in the basement so a little extra insulation and sound proofing will go a long way towards the quality of my life when I'm home and they are playing hahaha

In addition, homes in our area are currently selling over asking and very quickly. With DBF being gone all week we think the process will be very stressful. My Dad is retired and building savy so at least I will have some help with building supervising. I think he is actually looking forward to having something to do each day haha.

Where to build: Location location location... within reason. Our top for location and schools are running quite a bit more than the surrounding communities. I think we will end up sacrificing house size or a garage (for now) to get into our ideal location. Schools are extremely important to us, especially if we can get our forever home (vs schools wouldn't matter as much if we settle for a starter). We are looking for 1-3 acres but still in a neighborhood. It's Maine, everyone wants land for outdoor activities, a garage and no need to be on top of neighbors.

House Wish List:
2 stories
4 bedrooms
2.5 baths, one half downstairs
Room for an office or playroom on the main floor (office for now, playroom for little little ones when they come along)
Open concept with room for a 6 person dining table (so many home designs skip dining now!)
Closets, closets, closets
2nd floor laundry (I grew up with second floor laundry and my current basement laundry is awful!)
Basement (able to finish down the road)
Two Story Breezeway (for mudroom and we want to put the stairs over here to get them out from the middle of the house)
Garage (Will settle for just a foundation and build later if it's not in the budget, want to make provisions for a family room above the garage in the future)
Slider near kitchen to get out to deck/back yard

It's intimating getting ready and looking into buying/building that first home. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you can find exactly what you are looking for!

 

[loves to dive]

When we were looking my honey gave me a wish list on his part - highest price, master on main if it was two story, basement (he is a computer consultant and have huge servers and we have a hot tub so the basement didn't have to be finished) at least an acre, preferably not in town, internet access, brand new (it was his first time buying a house and he had the I want brand new mind set). I wanted a fireplace. I started looking a year before we were ready to pull the trigger so I had it narrowed down to about 3 when I finally took him to look. I always looked for houses below the budget he had sat, we did not use a real estate agent on our side since I used to work in property management I knew all the questions to ask. Had it been up to me, we have bought an older home because most of the time, the little kinks that you don't know about in a new build have been worked out.

 

[aprilchem]

If I were looking for a new house right now (which I wish I was, but DH moved a million times as a kid so I think we are stuck where we currently live), this would be my wish list:

• in my current school district
• at least 1 acre of land
• open floorplan
• At least 5 bedrooms
• Master suite for me and DH
• BIG kitchen with an island (preferably all white)

Of all these things, our current house is in the right school district and has 5 bedrooms.

 

[dfchelbay]

We are starting to look for a home to buy. Our first home buying experience. I'm not enjoying it even a little bit. I think it was easier to pick a husband then decide on a house. I'm having commitment issues. I don't know how I feel tying myself to such expensive purchase. I'm used to picking something I could live with for a few years and then picking something new for another move. There won't be another move for a few years at least. Now I have to pick something.

Tell me what you are looking for in a house. New Build? Already established house? Renovated? I'm not fixing anything up. It needs to be turn key ready to live in. What are the major wants/needs you would want in new home?

How about making a list about the house you are living in now? Write was is working for you and what isn't. Since you've been living in your current home, you know what your day to day needs are and what you have versus what is missing about current home. Then, when looking at new homes, you'll know what you must have in the new purchase because you'll have the list of what works/doesn't work for your particular needs from current home

 

[Wendy31]

If we were buying a new house, the following would be on my "must have" list:

Good location
Good, established neighborhood
4 bedrooms (including the master - master can be on main or w/ the other bedrooms)
Nice functioning space - open areas but not completely open concept
Lots of natural light
A nice entry
Either a Basement Rec Room - but w/ windows for natural light - OR a good-sized Loft Area for our Playroom/Schoolroom
Master bath w/ at least one other full bath & a powder room
Laundry room w/ good functioning space
Mud room or family-entry area - could be connected to the laundry room
Decent-sized kitchen w/ eat-in space & plenty of counter space & cabinets
The kitchen needs to be open to the family room, & the family room needs to be a good "living room" size - not den or office/study size
At least a separate dining room if not also a separate living room
Lots of storage - walk-in closet in master bedroom, good-sized closets in kids' room, at least one linen closet, a nice-sized closet in the rec room or loft, pantry, coat closet, a good area to store seasonal decor (that's not the garage or attic)
2 car garage
Decent yard w/ either a swimming pool already or yard space to have one put in w/ signed agreement from my DH that he would okay it
Good-sized deck on the back of the house
Space for the Christmas Tree in front of a window w/o having to move tons of furniture
Paneled interior doors

Nice to have - a big front porch

I don't mind having to repaint or update small things like light fixtures or faucets, but the house needs to have a good bones, the right layout, & just a good "feel" to it.

Also, I've found that what I want in a house pairs better w/ older houses than newer houses or new construction. The newer houses seem to have awesome walk-in closets in the master bedroom, but the rest of the house is lacking in decent storage & "wall space" (for lack of a better term) for furniture placement. I walk in, & I'm always wondering, "Where does the TV go? Where will I put the Christmas Tree? There's no closet for my craft & gift-wrapping supplies."

 

[dclpluto]

Buy a new house. Not much more than a used house. You don't have to worry about any repairs for a long time

 

[Julie's Haircut]

1) Quiet neighborhood off the beaten path.
2) Street names that I don't recognize from the police scanner
.

Yeah, the street name is kind of important to me too. I rejected an otherwise great house (location, price, layout, etc.) because it was on a street with a ridiculous name. There was no way I'd want my address to be xx Fairy Hollow Lane.

 

[aristocatz]

We are currently in our first home that we purchased when I was 6 months pregnant with our first child. We were really anxious to buy something, because I did not want to have the baby while still living in an apartment.

We lucked out with a pretty decent home-large bedrooms, two full bathrooms, nice neighborhood, good schools, and so far no major issues with the house itself. That all said, we are planning to move as soon as we can afford (ie as soon as my kids are out of daycare/preschool).

Must haves on our list are: garage, finished basement, hardwood floors, good storage in the kitchen, 2 full bathrooms, a mudroom, nice neighborhood, good overall structure.

 

[Vijoge]

A big kitchen. Really big. With an island. And a sink on the island. And lots of counter space. And maybe a skylight. Two ovens.

 

[Planogirl]

I would say to buy a new house or one that was recently remodeled. It's way too easy to like a house and decide to do the remodeling yourself. The next thing you know, many years have gone by and little has been done. Also, find out who the builder is and what rating and reputation they have.

 

[OhMari]

Location, I would find a realtor, and tell her your life style situation. Do you like to walk? Then you need a home with sidewalks and street lights. Do you like or dislike neighbors. If you do not like neighbors, then you want to find a home in a subdivision where homes are sitting on at least a half an acre. The distance between homes screams, "leave me alone." Crime rate is a big indicator, you definately want to be in a safe neighborhood. When this is astablished, then decide what kind of home you want to buy.

 

[lovin'fl]

Great threads, on buying homes and moving, on the Dis tonight. Perfect timing as we are about to list our house in like three weeks. DH has been working in another state for 2.5 years and once our youngest, twins, graduate high school in May we are moving to where DH's job is. So the next house as empty nesters... this is what I want:
-Condo or townhouse where HOA maintains outside (or if they don't, then a really small plain yard with NO trees around).
-First floor master and laundry
-open floor plan where I can see TV while in kitchen
-three bedrooms and 2.5 baths in about 1800 square feet, give or take 200 sf
-new build or not very old and completely updated...turn key and no cheap materials (doesn't have to be super high end but no laminate counters or linoleum floors and the such)
-newer big ticket things like roof, HVAC, windows
-I like craftsman style and if townhome, I'd prefer end unit