Things To Consider When Buying A Home
By Raynor James, Fri Dec 9th
When buying a home, it is easy to get caught up in emotions suchas love at first site. This can lead to disaster. The best wayto buy a home is to apply your daily life to it.
What Do You Do Daily?
Ask yourself what a typical day is like. Then, for any home thatseems like a real possibility, think about how you'd handle atypical day there. Can family members shower and dress in atimely fashion without getting into each other's way terribly?Is there a good place to put on make-up? If someone needssomething quickly touched up with an iron, can you picture a wayto handle that?
Picture the way you and other family members handle breakfastand lunch preparations
if they're made at home. Can you see thatflowing well here?
What about evenings? Do you cook dinner at home and dinetogether as a family regularly? Is there adequate counter spacenear the sink, refrigerator, and stove? Can you picturepreparing a typical meal in comfort in this kitchen?
If you have school age children, what about homework? Do you andthey like a homework "station" near where you're working in thekitchen tidying up after dinner and near where you're catchingup a few chores after that? Or do they do homework in theirrooms? Can a computer station, good light, etc. be arrangedwhere it's needed?
What about exercise? Does one or more family members take adaily run? Use exercise equipment indoors? If so, where wouldthese things take place?
Weekly Chores and Hobbies
Are there grocery stores, dry cleaners, a library, a farmers'market, or whatever retailers and service providers you and yourfamily use regularly near this home? If not, how would youhandle that? Does the home have places suitable for any messyhobbies that matter to you and yours? Does anyone refinishfurniture, build models, work with clay, paint pictures? Can youfind a reasonable place for those activities?
What about the "enrichment" activities you have your childrenenrolled in? How would you handle getting them to hockeypractice, dance class, and the like? Can they continue in theprograms they've been in, or will you have to find new ones? Isthe answer satisfactory?
Meaningful Infrequent Activities
If you're changing geographic locations and have a choice oflocating within, say, a fifty mile radius of your workplace, youmight want to consider the possibility of locating in severaldifferent towns. "Trying on" living in each town can hinge onavailability of activities you do infrequently, but enjoygreatly. For example, if you and your spouse really enjoyconcerts and plays, you can check out what's available in thatrealm in each town and then focus your attention on the one youlike best.
You might even go to the trouble to write out a little "checklist" of things that matter to you and judge each home you'rethinking is a good possibility by how it measures up. You mightwant to encourage other family members to do the same. This isapt to increase the chance of your finding a new home in whichyou're all very pleased with the quality of life you developafter you move in.
About the author:Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing FSBOhomes For Sale By Owner. Visit our "sell my home" page athttp://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your homefor free for one month. Visithttp://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm to see homes for sale byowner.
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