located? Where do you want to live? Where might you have to live for work commute or home price reasons? • What features would make it special? • What can you afford and what is out of your budget? Budget usually constrains us most in selecting a home. While some things are necessary for any home (as mentioned, a good roof and working appliances), others will just stay on the list of desires for now (like the sauna).
MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT T CHECK IT TWICE
You may have an impression of what you want in your new home. Putting that to paper and having a complete checklist can prove useful. Before starting your hunt for a new home, it is advisable to make a list of all your basic needs and desires, then prioritize the desires, figuring that all needs must be met in any house under consideration. This will make the search easier and help weed out the ones that do not meet the basics. Realize, however, that it is nearly impossible to find a home that meets all requirements. Compromises will be necessary. It is a good idea to work from outside-the-house factors to inside-the-house. For example, location is perhaps the primary concern and both “needs” factors and “desires” factors might be involved. A “need” would be “must be within 25 miles of work.” A desire might be, “would like to buy in “Palmer Ranch in Sarasota” (a favored neighborhood), however, the “need” may be “East Bradenton” (because work, family, friends, and recreation activities are all located there). Location needs may include proximity to schools, frequently used recreation facilities, or mode of transportation (bus or
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