During my childhood, I lived in two family homes. I was always impressed with how quickly my mom was able to sell each house (especially in markets that wouldn’t be considered a “seller’s market”.
The first home was almost 100 years old and in need of some serious TLC. The second home was much newer, but shared some important characteristics to the first home.
When shopping for my condo, I thought about some of the characteristics that I felt help my mom sell our family homes. As I begin to look for a house of my own, I am still considering those characteristics and am careful to weigh the pros and cons of each house.
What to look for:
- Location: We all know that location is important, but what is the ideal location?
- Proximity to public transit
- quiet street with minimal traffic
- not surrounded by tall buildings
- residential neighbourhood
- Local school and proximity to school (can children walk there?)
- proximity to parks
- proximity to stores, grocery, gas, city centre
- Access to main roads and highways
- Parking for visitors
- Lot: Depending on the budget, the house can change, but the lot can’t
- If it’s a corner lot, what are the yard setbacks (how much of the lot can actually be used for the house)
- Are there trees on the lot (how many, do they offer too much shade or too little, are they in good condition, could the roots cause a problem)
- Will you get natural sunlight
- Is there a hill (could this cause drainage issues)
- Is the ground hard or soft
- House: While the location cannot change, the house can. However, these changes can be quite costly
- Do you notice foundation issues?
- Are there signs of mold, water damage, smells?
- Is it easy to access (I always think of my grandfather. At 103, will he be able to enter the home or will there be too many stairs. You can also think about moving challenges or carrying groceries into the residence)
- Depending on the initial investment, a lot can be changed in the house, but generally you want:
- each bedroom to have a cupboard/closet (storage is important)
- a washroom on the main floor and two where the bedrooms are (an en suite for the master bedroom and a bathroom for the children to share)
- I am not a fan of open concept, but I believe a good size family kitchen is nice to have
- an optional for air conditioning
- large windows for natural light
Knowing what is a priority for you and your family is the most important. Then you can decide where and how to compromise your list of must-haves!