You’ve been dreaming of making a move, thinking about all the possibilities, but which path to take? Before you even start shopping, taking the time to identity your wants and needs can go a long way to narrowing your search criteria and will bring you closer to finding your perfect home.

Give some thought to your lifestyle, the actual home features you need and want, affordability and the neighbourhoods you prefer. Here are some examples of questions you can ask yourself (be honest!) to help get you from the dreaming to the doing! If you are buying a house with someone else, it is best to answer separately and then discuss your answers. This exercise often starts awesome conversations which are better had before viewing properties which may not suit everyone’s needs.

• What do you see yourself doing in this home? You may want a home that has lots of space for entertaining or you may want a house that has lots of storage for your outdoor gear.
• Where do you need the location of this home to be? You may need a home close to school, transit or work. Perhaps you want to be close to your family and friends or take advantage of the amenities in the new lake community.
• What style of home are you wanting? Large suburban house, condo, townhouse…what’s your style?
• What can I afford? Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is your first step. This will allow you to determine what price point you realistically start your search at. It can be heartbreaking to view a home and fall in love only to find out you don’t qualify so be real with yourself on this one! Tools like mortgage calculators can help give you can idea but your mortgage broker will get you truly, financial ready to hit the ground running.
• What do you need and want to have for amenities around you? Being close to a particular school, medical facility or having your favorite grocery store in the area are some considerations. Also give some thought on whether you want to be able to walk or bike to these amenities or if a short car ride would be okay too.
• When you envision yourself in your new home, how does that home make you feel? This may seem odd but trust me, after decades in real estate I’ve learned it is essential to understand the emotional meaning of “home”. Sometimes we can’t logically justify a house but we still know it is home.

No question, clients who come to me with their needs and wants clearly visualized for themselves have more, well, fun during the process because they know what they want and now the hunt is on! Having troubles narrowing down your needs? No worries, even more of my valued clients come to me for my experience in that area and it is actually one of my favorite parts of the job – helping people empower themselves to realize their real estate dreams. Visit me on Facebook and Google!