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When buying a home, the first and foremost thing to look for is location. Once a home is bought, this is something that can never be changed. Every thing including the home itself can be remodeled to suit your taste and requirement, but you cannot do anything about where it is situated. When you go house hunting, consider these:
- Home's proximity to your work,
- The charm of the neighborhood,
- How the home is situated on the lot,
- Ease of access,
- Neighbors,
- Traffic,
- Did the previous owners had pets,
- Access to parks, shopping, schools, and public transportation.
Situation Factors:
Once you have chosen a location, the next thing is to look at where the home is situated within that location. For example, you choose to be located in the Fairfax county of Northern Virginia. The next thing to see is within that region, where is your located? Consider these:
- Look at the particular site of the home. If the home is on a hill does it have a view, a walkout basement, or lots of stairs to climb?
- Do neighbors' windows look directly into the home?
- Is the yard suitable for kids, pets, gardening, or other uses?
- Is access to the property safe regarding driveway elevation, stairs up to (or down to) the front door?
- Does the home has a garage parking on the street or in front of the home itself or a paid parking?
- Is the home governed by a "Home Owner's Association" or not?
Neighborhood:
Be sure the neighborhood, and not just the house, meets your expectations. They say that you should own the smallest home in the nicest neighborhood that you can afford. You'll have a great view! Drive around on week days and weekends, during the day and in the evening. Consider these:
- Are homes in the neighborhood consistent in size and features?
- Do the neighbors keep the yards clean and tidy or are there old cars and trash around?
- Is the neighborhood safe enough for people to walk, run, or bike and are there children playing in the yards?
Schools:
Do you have kids that are going to a school or who will be going to a school soon. Then, school information is something that you just cannot ignore. Whether it is an elementary or a middle or a high school, buying a home in a location with bad school or a poor quality school system is not just worth it. Check with your local school board for school information. If you are working with a real estate agent, ask them! They should be able to provide you the info you need.
Travel Distance:
If you are an salaried person or if you work for a living, then almost all the time you need to be in your work place every day. If this is the case, then, the distance between your work place and your home does make a huge difference. It is not worth buying a home in a place that requires your to commute for a long time between your home and work. An ideal home would be the one that is closer to work, but that is almost too ideal. Consider this:
- What is your primary mode of transportation? If using public transportation, then, is your home conveniently located near one?
- How much are you willing to spend in terms of money on commute daily?
- How much are you willing to spend in terms of time on commute daily?
- If your spouse is also working, then, is the home location ideal to both commute places?
Home Characteristics:
Finally, the characteristics of the home itself need to be considered. The list is endless, but here are some of the things that you may want to think about:
- Size of the home and the floor plan
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Kitchen and its orientation
- Storage space and closets
- Windows and lighting
- Does the home has a deck?
- Does the home has a walkout or walk up or under ground basement?
- When was the home built?
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