What Do You Really Need?

Once you have made the decision to purchase a house for the first time, you have to do some thinking about how to go about it. Be honest with yourself and think carefully about the type of house you want to live in. Some items you must consider are:

As with most things in life, there are pros and cons to the types of homes on the market.

Pros:

• Workmanship is often of a better quality than is found in some new homes.
• Often many extras are included, such as appliances and window treatments.
• The property likely has mature trees and is landscaped.
• Usually the neighborhood is established and you know where the schools, stores, parks etc. are located.

Cons:

• You may need to make expensive repairs and/or renovations to the home.
• In general older homes have less insulation in them, thus they are less energy-efficient, so you will spend more to heat and cool them.

Pros:

• New homes are constructed to today’s building codes and these are usually more stringent than those in the past.
• Because everything is new you have little in the way of maintenance.
• You often have the ability to customize your home and upgrade materials if you desire.
• The home may come wired for today’s technology and come equipped with security features.
• There is more insulation in the home so heating and cooling costs will be less.

Cons:

• The finish date of the house can be delayed if there are construction problems, and this is a common problem.
• Construction may continue for some time in the area until the area is fully developed.
• Stores, schools, parks etc. may not be available when you move in, and in severe cases may not ever be built.
• You will have to landscape the property yourself this can be costly and will take many years to mature fully.

If at this stage of your life you are you too busy to look after a house consider a condominium development where property management does a lot of the work for you. Do have a physical disability that makes climbing stairs difficult or impossible? If so then consider a Bungalow or a layout that can be modified to accommodate your needs. How big a home do you desire, how many bedrooms, and how many bathrooms do you need or want?

Is the commute to work an issue with you? Do you need/want to be in a specific area? New neighborhoods tend to have younger people in them with lots of children, while some older neighborhoods have an older population and few children, which area will you will be comfortable living in?