Getting Ready

Before you step foot into the first home you look at, it's a good idea to thoughtfully determine your wants and needs, and the difference between the two! By analyzing your needs you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function for you. Once you're in the thick of viewing homes, it's all too easy to fall in love with someone’s decorating or a home’s outstanding architecture – and to completely overlook that there aren't enough bedrooms or bathrooms to fit your needs.

First, you should write down why you're looking for a home. For example, are you currently renting and would like to have a home where you can begin building equity? Maybe you have outgrown your existing home or changed jobs which required you to move to a new city. These factors will all have an impact on how you approach your home search.

It is important to identify what you envision your home to look like and what features it should have. Writing this down helps to avoid ambiguity later in the home search process. You should make at least two lists: one should describe everything you would ideally like and the other should list the features of the home that are an absolute must.

If more than one person is going to decide on the home purchase, each person should make their own lists separately. After they have done that, both should share their lists with each other. What is important to one may be not a thought to the other. It is important to know this before you start looking for homes, otherwise the home search can be frustrating.

However, as you progress through the homebuying process your lists may end up changing. This is a natural and evolutionary process that becomes clearer as you determine what you want and what is available.