- Home
- >
- Real Estate
- >
- Home Selection Checklist - A Good Aid When Choosing a Home
Home Selection Checklist - A Good Aid When Choosing a Home
This home selection checklist is a tool to help you select a home that is right for you and your family. Before you select a home and get a mortgage, you need to know if you will be happy with the home you select for the coming years. Home selection is a major step in your life and using a checklist to select smartly will help you think of all the things you need to realize about a home before you buy. Take a checklist with you to each home you might select and write down all the important home selection points on the checklist. Use the checklist for each potential home selection and you will have a "fact book" to review and analyze before your final home selection.
These important factors in home selection are designed to help you create a checklist of your own. You can then research homes for sale and checklist how each home compares to other homes you've selected to view. By the time you are ready to get a mortgage you will know, from the selection checklist, exactly the pros and cons of each home.
How old is the structure? Older homes require more maintenance. Mortgages on older homes can be more difficult to obtain. Mortgage insurance and the homeowner's protection required by the mortgage company you select can be more costly on the home. Note on the selection checklist any items which need repair if you select that home. How many stories is the home? If you or a family member is aging, or you expect to live in your home selection for years, stairs can be a major problem. If you are young and won't live in this home selection for years, this shouldn't be a problem. Place this on your selection checklist if it is a concern for you and your family. Note on your home checklist any selection items which might make family visits difficult. It would be a major inconvenience to say the least if your family can't visit because of stairs or hills. What material is the home construction? Concrete slab and block construction homes pose a lower fire threat and this will reflect in your home insurance and maybe even mortgage rates. Place the building type you prefer on your home selection checklist. Kitchen area: How large a kitchen will suit your lifestyle? Is the refrigerator ancient or newly new? Is the stove in good condition? Do you prefer to cook with a gas or an electric stove? Do you want a garbage disposal? Determine exactly what is important in a kitchen, and place those selections on your checklist. Then rate each property you might select as to how many of the checklist features are included. Of course, some selection checklist features are easy enough to add; other selection checklist features can't be changed. Living areas: Is a formal living area and a den an important selection on your personal selection checklist? List on the home selection checklist each need. Are there windows for plants, if you are a plant-lover? Is the carpet in the potential home selection in good condition? Think about these items before signing a mortgage! Note any probable expenses on your home checklist for later review. Use these in budgeting for your mortgage Laundry facilities: Does your home selection have laundry hookups that will not require you to run up and down stairs to bring laundry from bedrooms to the washer? Are the hook-ups in good condition? Note on the selection checklist. Place on your selection checklist any items you would select to replace upon moving into the home. Write on the checklist the anticipated cost of replacing the items you select as unacceptable. Remember to budget so you can pay the mortgage plus refurbish the home selection after purchase. Bedrooms: Is your family formed or do you plan on more children? Are there enough bedrooms to allow guests? Is the master bedroom in the home selection large enough? Obtaining a mortgage on too small a home can be a major error. Place on your selection checklist exactly the size home you need to select. Closets: Will there be enough closet space for your family's clothing? Place on your checklist how many closets you require. Bathrooms: Will there be enough facilities in your home selection to allow everyone space for their personal items and plenty of time to use facilities. Large families require several bathrooms; be sure to put this on your home selection checklist! A selection that needs bathrooms added plus mortgage payments can be expensive. Consider this in your mortgage budget. Roofing: Take a look at the materials and condition. If the roof looks as if it will need repair soon, consider this major cost in your mortgage pricing. Roofing is very expensive. Research the cost of replacing a roof before you make an offer. Note these costs on the home checklist. Will your budget cover mortgage and roofing expense? Water heater: Look at the water heater and determine condition. Look for places that may have leaked and any damage resulting. Also, is the water heater gas or electric in the home selection? More notes for your home checklist. Air conditioning / heating: Do these units in the home selection appear to be old or new? Are they energy efficient? If you sign a mortgage on a home only to learn the entire heating or HVAC requires replacement, you could cause yourself financial stress. Checklist the estimated age of each appliance and piece of equipment in the potential home selection. Include checklist notes of expenses for replacing older items. Place in your home mortgage selection notes that you may want a home inspection or warranty if equipment looks older; your checklist selection can save you from making a major mortgage error! Utility Cost: Don't be afraid to ask the home owners to see electric, gas and water bills. If your home selection is well insulated and energy efficient, they will be happy to show you. Energy costs are important points on your home selection checklist. Neighborhood: Do you want to be in a gated community? Is a play area for children nearby the home? What about schools? Is the neighborhood surrounding the home selection clean and attractive? Ride around the neighborhood; see other homes to learn about the area before making your home selection to mortgage. Secure neighborhoods help not only ease of mortgage approval, but on insurance as well. Checklist this item on your home selection list. Yard: If you have children or pets, you may desire a large yard. If you are a gardener, a nice yard is important. Again, checklist everything that truly matters in your ideal home selection. Parking: Is there space for your vehicles and guests? Is there a garage? Carport? Is the driveway in good condition? Include on your home selection checklist what matters to you. Again, if these require repair, put these notes on the checklist so you can budget accordingly. Future expansion: If you wish to expand the home at some future time then is there space on the property without crowding? Consider the future before you mortgage a home that you may have to sell later as your family needs grow. Zoning and Restrictions: If you have a home business, is it permitted in the potential neighborhood? Selection of a home which prevents the activities you value would be a bad mistake. Some communities have restrictions regarding working on your car or motorcycle, parking a boat and other issues you need to know before making your final home selection. Keep this point on your selection checklist if you work on your car or have a boat beside the home. Work: Is the home of your selection near your workplace? If not, is it easy to access the expressway for an easy commute from home? Will you come to hate the idea of going to work from this location? Note on the selection checklist for your home the miles you will drive per day and the cost. Shopping: Groceries, and convenience stores, gas stations and the like should be in close proximity of your home selection. Note on your selection checklist how far from home to the nearest shopping centers. Checklist where you would go from your home to shop. Sidewalks: This checklist point for home selection is important for families with children. If there are no sidewalks, then children won't be able to easily walk to visit friends, ride bikes, or do other activities children love to do. Also, checklist if you like to take strolls or walk for exercise yourself. Amusements, churches, activities: If you have activities you like to do, consider the drive time from the home selection. Will your children's movie visits on Saturday become a long drive? Are at least a few doctors nearby the potential home? Amusements your family enjoys should be reasonably easy to reach. Neighborhood Lighting: If you like to go out at night, or your children will be playing outside, is the area well-lighted? Not only are these selection criteria important for your children, but burglars just hate a well-light home and neighborhood! Checklist some safety issues you need before considering a mortgage. Traffic: If you have children, your new neighborhood should be low traffic. Also, traffic equals noise. Consider this important fact as well. A home on an expressway has frustrated many. This home selection checklist points are meant to help you think to checklist important home selection options before obtaining a mortgage for a home. Make yourself a custom home selection checklist that includes the things that matter to YOU and YOUR FAMILY, and then take this along when home shopping. With a checklist in hand, you can make the selection that will make you happy for years and years!
The Mortgage Resource Center is a free online resource. We offer unbiased mortgage information. You may use and/or change this article as you see fit in any way that suits your needs for use on your website, as long as both http://www.mortgage-resource-center.com and this ezine are given credit. There are also other articles we may be willing to allow you to use from our site in exchange for a link to both ourselves and the ezine. Please contact us for prior approval and details at info@mortgage-resource-center.com
In The News:
One of the biggest mistakes people make when selling a... Read More
If you plan on getting the most from the sale... Read More
What's the difference between death and taxes?Death doesn't change every... Read More
We have been studying a trend of new home buyers... Read More
Second homes in favourite holiday destinations such as Spain are... Read More
So you've picked up your first (or third, or tenth)... Read More
How's the real estate marketing doing? Is the huge jump... Read More
Property Investing often requires creative strategies to make it successful.... Read More
When buying and selling homes, the property purchase is often... Read More
Real estate investment and development has never been a more... Read More
Why should you invest in real estate? Well, investing in... Read More
Chapter OneShe reached the phone on its second ring. "This... Read More
The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to... Read More
A lot of buyers think that a new house is... Read More
GOLF GRABS BULGARIA!At the present time there are only three... Read More
Even if you're counting on rising property values to eventually... Read More
Having your house appraised can be a scary step in... Read More
Of course you're curious, and you'd like to see what... Read More
One key that makes investors is conversation or should I... Read More
If you are in the market to purchase a home,... Read More
Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you... Read More
You've decided to prepare your home for sale. Whether you... Read More
By being creative, you can play the game of real... Read More
Portugal has long been a popular choice for people, particularly... Read More
One of the things that distresses us about our industry... Read More
Property Investing Secrets:How To Work With Agents And Get What... Read More
When looking for a new home or property, buyers ask... Read More
There are several different types of listing contracts. Few of... Read More
Sellers need to keep their safety in mind when prospecting... Read More
When you sell your home, appraisers use comps (comparable market... Read More
Looking to relocate to a Californian suburb with a low... Read More
Property Investing Secrets:How You Can Turn A Below Average Deal... Read More
Howard Stern has over 20 property related files in Queens,... Read More
Why property, some people ask when looking for an investment.... Read More
These are real builder questions that I got from readers... Read More
Development, it's bound to happen.Simply because there is a large... Read More
Property Condition - Seller's What to Expect During the Inspection... Read More
Real estate investing expertise can certainly accommodate the luxury home... Read More
Your house is for sale by owner (fsbo), Along with... Read More
Avoid 12 Common Mistakes Made by Novice Investors and Ensure... Read More
The secret disclosed on how you too could achieve financial... Read More
Just like most things real estate investing can be broken... Read More
Selling your home requires some thought and a clear plan... Read More
So you've picked up your first (or third, or tenth)... Read More
By this point and time, many people have heard about... Read More
Many of us dream about owning the vacation home in... Read More
With new destinations such as Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia offering... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes people make when selling a... Read More
Earlier this year the Hawthorn suites in Lake Buena Vista... Read More
Places to Retire: Popular Doesn't Always Mean "Best"Las Vegas, Nevada;... Read More
So much advice is bandied about on the internet and... Read More
Fractional shares ("fractionals") are sometimes confused with other vacation property... Read More
Given the current interest (dare I say hysteria) associated with... Read More
What is a 'Home Warranty?'A home warranty is like an... Read More
There is an increasing trend in South Africa that is... Read More
If you really want the best deals in investment properties,... Read More
Why should you do your own real estate inspection? To... Read More
Is your pet worth $100,000? It may be if you... Read More
At this moment, you have access to some amount of... Read More
In today's tight housing market, many buyers are looking for... Read More
Last week, we started a multi-part series about how to... Read More
There has been a lot of talk lately about the... Read More
Are you using the equity from your home to purchase... Read More
If you already own your home, you will probably make... Read More
The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to... Read More
Condo hotels are one of the hottest products in today's... Read More