Tips For Picking The Best Community And Perfect Home
If you’re setting out to buy your first home, no doubt you are excited but most likely a bit overwhelmed. There are lots of decisions to make like, does your husband need enough room for his shed, ahem man cave, or do you want to be able to run out to the mailbox in your bathrobe without anyone seeing you?
The answer to these kinds of questions will help you determine the type of home or neighborhood you will want to live in. Some other factors you will need to consider are budget, lifestyle, and family. Here are a few tips to help narrow your focus while highlighting your wants and needs.
Finding The Perfect Community
We suggest that you start by making a list of what is important to you in a new area and what will be considered your “make it or break it” factors. Write down as many questions as you can think of such as “Do I want my home to be in an urban or rural area?”, “What, if any restaurants/entertainment/schools must I be near?”, “ How far am I willing to commute to work?” Spend some time really thinking through as many of these questions as possible, and if you get stuck Nestiny has great resources to keep you on the right track and stay organized. If you are buying with a partner, work through these questions together so that you are both on the same page. This list will help narrow down your focus and prioritize what components will shape the perfect home for your family.
There are always uncertainties when making a move, but it can be especially difficult if you are moving out of an area you are familiar with. If you’re moving to an unfamiliar city and don’t have any trusted contacts to ask about the community, there are some online tools that can help give insight into the area. Keep in mind that it never hurts to do a bit of your own research, no matter what you have been told about an area, good or bad. Sites like YourMapper.com, StreetAdvisor.com, NeighborhoodScout.com and City-Data.com will allow you to research the area and make a more educated decision as to if the location is right for you and your family.
A high priority for many families is making sure that they are located in a good school district. After all, the last thing you want to do is relocate after a year when realizing that the nearby middle school is not an ideal place for your daughter. It is always great to gather personal experiences and opinions if possible, but do some digging on your own as well. There are a few sites that will allow you to view performance and reviews of both public and private schools. Check out GreatSchools.org, SchoolDigger.com, PublicSchoolReview.com and PrivateSchoolReview.com. Reviewing schools within the community you are considering will allow you to quickly make an educated choice as to if the area is right for your kids.
Selecting The Perfect Home
Similarity to identifying your wants and needs within a community, we suggest making a separate list for the actual home itself. “Do I/we need room for a growing family?”, “Should the home be move-in ready or am I willing to do some renovations?”, “Is there anything specific I want the home to have such electric heat or a basement?” Unsure of where to start with these questions? Nestiny’s Journey Homeward will walk you through all of these important questions, providing you with a personalized Ready Report that you can easily share with your real estate agent saving you valuable time and money.
Can you picture your dream home? Many people can, and could drive down the street pointing to their favorites but do not know the actual name to describe the style. Using Nestiny’s Home Pinwheel game you can quickly browse different home styles helping you identify which you prefer. Using a fun process of elimination, this game will help narrow down your preferred home styles and award you with a top three in order of preference.
We all want to be as prepared as possible when moving to a new home with our family, especially if it is in an unfamiliar area. With the help of these web tools along with Nestiny’s resources you will have a great head start on your journey towards a new home!
