A few thoughts on finding your forever home:
Finding a forever home
First decide on the area. Use Rightmove’s map drawing tool to define the
area. You can zoom in and alter the map as much as you want. Once you’ve
drawn this review it every so often, so if you discount another street or estate
you need to alter your map.
Write your definitive list of everything your forever home should have.
This is where you specify whether you don’t want ex-council, what your
budget it, how many bedrooms, how much outdoor space, whether you want rural
or not.
Make this document as inclusive as possible. Include photos of things you like
from other properties or websites.
Decide whether you want to do work. You might keep looking at properties that
are almost right if only you could alter one or two things. Would you consider
doing work? Do you have the budget or any experience of doing work?
Remember that carpets and wallpaper can be changed, but the neighbourhood can’t!
This is where location comes in. Is it the right location?
Write a list of all the things you do in your daily life that involve you leaving
the house:
– going to work
– taking the kids to school
– going to the gym
– taking the kids swimming
– going to your art class
Mark on a map where these are in your preferred area. Are there are schools
or pools? What’s the commute like? These are important things to consider.
It’s no good if you live in your dream house but everything you do it
an hours drive away.
This redefining of your area and house brings in the compromise. Most of the
people who spend years looking are unable to compromise. You can either wait
for ever for the dream house or try and get one that’s 99% perfect.
If you find you’ve narrowed it down to a small area but nothing is for
sale there, you could try leafleting.