What should you look for in determing your housing needs?

What should you look for in determing your housing needs?

Only you can know what is important to you! The house you select to buy should fit the way YOU live, with design and layout that works for YOU. Nobody else can tell you what works for you – after all, you know YOU best! But we can provide a list of some of the things you should be considering:

What is your family situation? Are you planning to live alone, or with teenage children, or are you an “empty nester” that doesn’t need as much room now that your children have left home? The house you choose to buy must reflect the changing needs of your situation. As a large investment, it should also reflect your needs, say, five years out…or maybe 10?

What importance is location? From a professional real estate agents perspective, location is the single most important factor. Location is what impacts the price and the eventual resale value of your home. A professional estate agent will be considering these factors when they make recommendations to you. But what is it about location that you need? Proximity to schools? Shopping? Work? Transportation?

What is your lifestyle and what would part do you want your new house to play in that? Are you an entertainer needing large rooms or a patio? Are you the quiet type that enjoys evenings looking at the sunset? Do you want a view? Or a pool? Or both?

What are your hobbies? Are you the outside sort of person who enjoys gardening and yard work? Or do you prefer the interior more?

What are your physical needs? Are you disabled or do you have disabled family members? If so, you will need to look for a home that has easy access, and is probably a single story home.

Do you want a big house with lots of rooms (and much more cleaning) or are you looking for something more modest and easier to maintain?

Do you want a two story or single story home? A two-story home may cost less per square foot, but has many drawbacks. It is far more expensive to heat and cool and generally experiences much higher utility costs. Also, as utility costs increase as we have seen in California, resale values of two story homes may decline.

Kent sez: “A professional real estate agent can help you avoid a costly mistake by helping you to determine EXACTLY what your housing needs are.”

We are sure you can find many more questions to ask yourself about your housing needs. When buying a home, it is best to remember that this will most likely be a long-term decision. It is definitely worth taking a few moments to think carefully about what you want and what your needs really are. Don’t sell yourself short by settling for a house to buy that does not meet all your needs.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. If you are ready to start looking to buy a home, why not check out “Petersens Picks” which is a selection of Kent’s more interesting properties currently for sale in the Antelope Valley. If you would like to know more about the Antelope Valley, click here. We'd love to answer any questions you might have - contact us. You may find that the Antelope Valley offers more than you expected. We think it's a terrific place to live!