Shopping for your home

Your home should be a reflection of your lifestyle and tastes. It should fit the way you live, and should have the features that are important to you. Before you set out to look at homes, it's a good idea to decide ahead of time which features are absolutely essential, which ones you can't live without, and which ones would be nice to have but are not not necessary. Long discussions with your spouse may be needed for some of these.

Below is a checklist of questions and considerations to keep in mind when you're ready to go house hunting. This is not meant to be a complete list, but is intended as a starting point for you to make your own checklist. Keep in mind that many features of a house can be changed easily, such as the color of paint on the walls or the type of ceiling fan in the living room, while others, such as the floor plan or location, cannot.

• What type of home do you want? A cozy condo on the water? A large ranch-style house in the county with a vegetable garden in the backyard? An old house in a historic district with tree-lined cobblestone streets? Think about how you live, and determine what kind of house, in what kind of location, will best suit your lifestyle.
• How big of a house do you want, in square feet?
• How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want?
• Do you want a study, office, or exercise room?
• Do you want a pool?
• Do you want an eat-in kitchen? A formal dining room? Separate family room and living room? Split bedroom plan?
• Do you want a newer home less than five years old, or an older one? Older homes are often located in more established neighborhoods, with mature shade trees, with the ambience of times past, and with neighbors who all know each other. Newer homes may lack some of these things, but may be more energy efficient, need fewer repairs, and are generally easier to maintain.
• Do you want central air conditioning and heating?
• Do you want a fireplace?
• How many stories? If anyone in your family, or anyone who may be visiting, has a physical disability, stairs can be a consideration.
• If anyone in your family, or anyone who may be visiting, uses a wheelchairs, you may need wider doorways, and you may need to look for a house with ramps, or one in which ramps can easily be installed.
• Do you want a waterfront home? Should it have access to the harbor by boat? Will you need sailboat access, without any low bridges between you and the harbor? A boat lift? A seawall?
• Do you want a home on or near a golf course?
• How about a garage? How many cars? Any RVs or trailered boats?
• What about deed restrictions? Do you want any? Are there any you simply can't live with? Do you want to live in a neighborhood with a homeowners' assocation?
• Do you want to live in a community with common amenities, such as a pool, clubhouse, or tennis courts? Restricted access?
• How much yard do you want? Do you have the time and ability to maintain it?
• Would you prefer to be in the city, or in a more rural area?
• What about the school system? If you have children, or plan to have children, the educational opportunities will be important.

When you go to look at houses with your realtor, bring a notebook to jot down impressions and facts. A camera can be useful, too. After you've looked at a few houses, the details will begin to blur together in your mind, and when you sit down later to think about the houses you've looked at, notes and digital photos will go a long way toward helping you keep straight in your mind which house had the beautiful hardwood floors, which one had the kitchen to die for, and which one had old carpeting that will have to be replaced first thing.

When you're looking at houses, consider whether your furniture will fit easily into the rooms and if the house has sufficient storage space. You might want to bring a tape measure and the measurements of any possessions that require specific storage needs. Ask yourself if you like the floorplan. Envision how you and your family will use the house and its spaces on a day to day basis. If you're looking at a house with an eye toward possibly expanding it in the future, be sure and check if there's sufficient room for such an expansion, and check zoning laws for the area. Find out if any deed restrictions will interfere with your future plans. Ask if a home warranty is available. Inquire about what schools children in that neighborhood attend. How long will your daily commute be? What is the surrounding neighborhood like? Is the house close to shopping and schools?

There are many, many more questions to be asked and answered. What's important is that you make your own list of the features that are most important to you, because you're the person who will be living with your decision for years to come.

Once you've determined what you really want in a house, and with your lender's preapproval or prequalification in hand, now it's time to call your Realtor and start looking at houses. Tell your Realtor everything you can about what's important and what's not, and be honest about your financial situation. You don't have to reveal the exact amount you've been pre-qualified for, but you should let the Realtor know the price range of what you can afford or are willing to spend. Don't waste everyone's time by having your Realtor show you $500,000 homes if you have been pre-approved for up to $250,000. If you give your Realtor as much information as possible about your housing needs and financial situation, your Realtor will be able to spend more time showing you houses that "fit" and less time pursuing houses that are far out of your budget or completely unacceptable to you for other reasons.



• When you're ready to buy or sell southwest Florida real estate in Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, or any of the surrounding Charlotte County area, contact contact HomeTeamChris today!

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