Nine Must-Haves For Your New Home, Valentines Day Edition

Real Estate News

Nine Must-Haves For Your New Home, Valentines Day Edition


Written By: Jaymi Naciri
Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Sure, the right number of bedrooms is important. And, of course, you wouldnt even consider a house in the wrong school district. But what are the other things that really matter when buying a home? You know, the things that make your life easier - or at least a little less chaotic - on a daily basis and that support your life>

Whats true of >

The right location

If youve never had to sit in traffic for three hours a day, you probably dont know exactly how much it completely sucks. It may be worth it to you because a long commute is the only way youll be able to afford a home, but have a serious talk with yourself first.

The right overall layout

Sure, walls can be moved and floorplans reimagined, if thats what youre into. But some things you might not be able to change, perhaps because you lack budget or spacemdash;or both. If the idea of being on a different floor than your children stresses you out and you fear youll never be able to >

Enough bathrooms

Nothing kills the mood like having to squeeze your knees together while your honey is in the only or only functioning bathroom. If youve ever watched House Hunters and seen a couple buy an old home with one bathroom, which they justified because the place was "just so charming," let us set the record straight: Theres nothing charming about peeing your pants.

Dual sinks

So the house youre considering has an updated master bathroom, and what it lacks in space it makes up for in >

A good family gathering space

Whether or not you have kids or ever plan to, a good family room or living room is key to long-term enjoyment of a home. The amount of square footage is obviously important, but also pay attention to the key features of the room. Otherwise, youll end up with a space you hate being in because the west-facing windows make it too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter and the TV niche is shoved into the corner, making it hard to see unless youre sitting directly across from it. Or perhaps thats just us.

Upstairs laundry

Back to House Hunters for a moment. Who else cringes every time someone buys a house with a laundry room in a creaky old basement? Just the thought of having to carry laundry baskets down two flights of stairs is enough for us to say a hard "No" to that. Many basement-free homes have laundry rooms on the first floor, when all the bedrooms are upstairs. This may be an acceptable feature for most peoplemdash;and it may be all youve known to this pointmdash;but trust us: Once youve enjoyed the convenience of an upstairs laundry room, youll never want anything else.

A sufficient garage

Burning your butt on a hot car seat in the summer and having to run the engine for 10 minutes before you get into a freezing cold car in the winter might anger you every single time you do it.

The right size backyard

Taking the kids to the park instead of letting them loose in a backyard you dont have. Getting out of bed to walk the dog in the middle of the nightmdash;and in the rainmdash;because, again, no backyard. Not having a backyard at all, or a tiny patch of grass that doesnt give you space to move, might not be the kind of compromise you want to make. On the flip side, a large back yard that requires time and effort to maintain may take away from family time and create stress or anxiety.

A kitchen you can work with

Yes, you can replace a dishwasher or repaint your cabinets. Heck, you can rip the whole thing out and start over if you want, but most people arent looking to drop that kind of money on a brand-new kitchen. Is the kitchen workable as is? Are there small tweaks you can make that would create a space you want to cook in? Being honest with yourself about what you need, what you can handle, and what is realistic can help you make a good choice instead of one you may soon regret.



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