some things are necessary for any home (as mentioned, a good roof and working appliances), others will stay on the list of desires for now (like the sauna).
MAKE A LIST, 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 be helpful. Before starting your hunt for a new home, it's advisable to list all your basic needs and desires and then prioritize them by 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 don't meet the basics. However, finding a home that meets all requirements may be impossible. What compromises will you be willing to make? It's 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" and "desires" might be involved. A "need" would be "must be within 25 miles of work." Another need might be "on the west side of the city" (because work, family, friends, and recreation activities are all located there). A desire might be something like "would want Westwood" (a favored neighborhood). Location needs may include proximity to schools, frequently used recreation facilities, or mode of transportation (bus or suburban rail access). Whether an item is a need or a desire depends on circumstance. Closeness to family might be a need for a couple with young children or elderly parents to care for — or a desire if those factors aren't involved. It's items like these that make a checklist most helpful. After location needs and desires are compiled, housing factors can be considered. Needs include having all essential house structures and systems in good working order.
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