The Perfect House

As I was out with a client looking for her next home recently, she was finding different things she liked in every home we saw. This happens with nearly every buyer and she joked that it would be so nice if she could pick her favorite pieces from different houses to create her perfect house. Of course we know that isn't possible, and I got this playful image of a patchwork, 'Frankenstein' house in my mind.

While designing a previous family home years ago it became very apparent that everything we wanted couldn't fit in one design. It's a matter of defining priorities, deciding which features are most important and compromising the rest.

As you look for your perfect home first put together your wish list, including items such as...

• Location - neighborhood, site, yard, view, proximity to recreation, services, work, etc
• Structure - style, floor plan, layout of the house and grounds, potential for renovation/addition, etc
• Size - square feet (both finished and unfinished), # bedrooms and bathrooms, garage stalls, lot size, etc
• Amenities - kitchen requirements, dining areas, fireplace, family room, master bath, upgrades, hardwood, etc
• Condition - move-in condition, unfinished areas, in need of structural and/or cosmetic updates, etc
• Price - specific price or monthly payment target, fair price vs good deal, appreciation potential, how long you plan to live there, etc

Once you have your list together identify the items that are non-negotiable...then prioritize the other items on your list. As you select homes to visit, don't even consider properties that don't fit your non-negotiable criteria.

We are used to filtering by price and size, but don't forget to include other criteria that is important to you as well. I put location first on the list because that's the piece you cannot change in a property. It is where it is and there is nothing you can do to change it. Most other things have the potential for change with an investment in time and/or money.

Only you can decide what is most important to you. It's all a matter of priorities and compromises.