When planning a home move you need to know the difference between your needs and wants
When considering moving to a new property, we all start with a perfect scenario; the house of our dreams that has everything we could ever hope for.
When considering moving to a new property, we all start with a perfect scenario; the house of our dreams that has everything we could ever hope for.
By the time you've started searching, you've probably spent months thinking about moving house; it's certainly not a decision that people come to lightly. And with so much time spent dreaming and planning, it's no surprise you have a picture of your perfect home.
But, as you begin your search, your requirements can change considerably. Refining your criteria and compromising here and there. We amend our search to suit our budget and bend to what is available in the market. What if the perfect property doesn't exist or is out of budget? Knowing what you can compromise on and what is an absolute deal breaker is essential.
What does perfect look like?
Initially, decide on your 'perfect' attributes in a property. What would your new property look like, and what features and characteristics would make it absolutely perfect for you and your family? Perhaps make a list of everything you could ever want in a new home.
Where do you have wiggle room?
Then, go through your list and decide which attributes are essential and which could you compromise on if you had to? What are the essential things you couldn't live without, and what are the 'nice to haves'? What can you actually not cope without?
You might need 4 bedrooms for everyone in your household to sleep in, or you might think you need to use one for a home office. But what if the property had a study or a working space? Would that mean you could do with one less bedroom? Maybe the garden is large enough to accommodate a garden office?
Set a budget.
Be strict with yourself about what is affordable. You may be able to stretch slightly above your budget for the perfect house, but you need to ensure that you don't push too far. Get some financial advice to help you with how much you can borrow and what the monthly repayments might look like.
Be careful to differentiate between needs and wants. You might stretch the budget slightly for something you absolutely need, but it might not make sense to stretch it for something you want. If money becomes very tight whilst you're living in the property, will you still feel as positive about that spare room or gym that you stretched the budget for?
Keep your estate agent up to date
Finally, if your search requirements change whilst you are looking for a property to buy, make sure that you update the estate agents so that they send you relevant properties that fit your search criteria.
Get in touch with us today to update your information and ensure you don't miss out on any properties that might suit your needs.