CHAPTER 3 Crafting Your Dream Home Wish eam Home Wish List (a.k.a. Let’s Get Real) Congratulations! You’ve decided to buy a home. The next step? Figuring out what kind of home you’re after. Spoiler alert: wildly clicking through every online listing within your price range is not the winning strategy here. Instead, let’s focus on building a vision that’s practical, personal, and—dare I say it—attainable. Picture your dream house. It’s not just walls and a roof; it’s the sanctuary where you’ll sip coffee on Sunday mornings, survive Thanksgiving dinners with extended family, and maybe even host a dog birthday party (don’t act like you haven’t thought about it). It needs to tick both the "needs" and "wants" boxes. Needs vs. Desires: The Ultimate Showdown First, let’s start with the essentials. A good roof that doesn’t leak, plumbing that doesn’t gurgle ominously, and rooms that serve actual purposes—like bedrooms for sleeping and a kitchen for binge-snacking. These are your needs . Non-negotiables. Then, there are the desires . Maybe you’re dreaming of a chef’s kitchen with marble counters, a bathroom with a tub big enough to qualify as a small pool, or a backyard that screams, “Welcome to the neighborhood BBQ of the year!” Here’s the catch: most of us aren’t rolling in cash. Your budget will probably clip the wings of your castle-in-the-sky fantasies. And that’s okay! Life is about compromise. Prioritize what really matters to you and be prepared to let go of a few things. If you can’t live without a swimming pool, then every pool-less house 13
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