Buying a house is a big step in life and a huge financial investment. It is critically important that you are sure a house is right for you in every possible way before you commit to purchasing it. Given the gravity of this decision, it’s reasonable hesitate a bit before taking the plunge. However, if you wait too long, someone else may snatch your dream home from underneath your nose. The following tips will help you to identify when you’ve found the perfect house, so that you can make a purchase with confidence and live happily ever after!
1: The House has Strong Curb Appeal
The first sign that you’ve found the house for you is that it beckons you inside the moment you see it. Obviously, there are a lot of more concrete factors that will subsequently affect your decision to buy the house or not, but there is a lot to be said for that initial curb appeal. If there is one house in particular that made you feel the most at home when you first approached it, then you have a good sign that it’s the house for you.
2: The House Feels Like a Home
Another early sign that you’ve found the right place is that the house feels like home the first time you go inside and tour it. Are there little accents and elements of character that make it feel like home? Can you easily imagine your things decorating the rooms? Are you envisioning entertaining guests there during holidays? In short, can you see yourself living there? If so, then the house is a strong contender.
3: You Feel Comfortable Imagine Intimate Scenarios in the Home
If you’ve ever rented a house or apartment prior to buying a home, you’ve likely encountered certain properties in past housing searches that left you immediately repulsed in important, intimate ways. For example, you may have looked at an apartment in which the bathroom was a grimy, disgusting mess that you could never imagine using. Now that you’re considering buying a home, you don’t want to go with one in which the bathtub is too gross to ever take a bath in, or one that has a toilet that you’d be less comfortable using than one in a public restroom. You want to be comfortable enough in your own home to really hang loose.
4: The Home Beats Out the Other Ones You’ve Viewed
Sometimes, everything you’re looking for in a house comes together in a single, perfect place – and it’s usually obvious to tell when this happens. All of your practical criteria and intangible desires are there, and it makes every house you viewed prior and subsequent to it feel inferior. When this happens, you’ve found your house. Don’t waste a lot more time looking at other houses on your list – if this house is the best of ten so far, then it’s probably going to be best out of twenty. You don’t want to lose it to another buyer because you were indecisive.
5: The House Fits Your Needs
Once you’ve gotten a sense of your more abstract feelings about a house and things are feeling right, it’s time to turn to more practical considerations. You want to make sure the house meets all of your minimum living requirements. For example, does it have enough bedrooms for your family to live comfortably? Is it in a school district to which you’re comfortable sending your kids? Is it in your price range? It’s important for a house to meet all of the essential criteria that you can’t add on later. On the other hand, don’t be too picky. If you hate the color of the walls or the carpeting, you can easily alter these aspects of the house after buying.
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect house is a highly subjective process and is therefore difficult to quantify. A large part of the decision comes down to taste and preference. However, if you find a house that satisfies all of your practical criteria, and on top of that it just feels right – like home – then it is almost certainly the place for you. Be discerning, but also trust your gut. Don’t agonize over the decision so much and for so long that you lose the perfect house because you dragged your feet.