Two Important Home Buying Checklists

Eliminate the surprises by making a list of the things you want to know when you go shopping for a new home. By making a list ahead of time you'll be able to get all your questions answered, and find out as much detail as possible during your visit to the model home. There are actually two important lists to create before you go. First, make sure you and your family discuss upfront important must-haves such as closet space, or an extra flex room to use as an office, a guest room, or a scrapbooking room. Do you cook a lot? Perhaps the option of a gourmet kitchen is a must for you. By knowing ahead of time what is important to everyone, it will be easier to interact with the onsite agents, tour the model homes, and quickly narrow things down to homes that are right for you. Here is an example of how one of your checklists may look:

• Do you need a garage? If so, how large?
• Do you like open floor plans or traditional layouts?
• Is school district important to you?
• What amenities do you want?
• What kinds of options and upgrades are important to you? (Do you absolutely have to have the hardwood floors? Or are other things more important?)

Now make sure to put together the list of questions that may be best answered by an onsite specialist. Here is an example of how your other checklist may look:

• What schools does the neighborhood feed?
• Where are the schools located in proximity to the community?
• What are the amenities in the neighborhood?
• How far are you from important shopping such as grocery stores, dry cleaners, and pharmacies?
• Where are local Doctors' offices?
• How far away are you from a gym?
• Is your religious establishment of choice nearby?
• What are the property taxes in the area like?

These are just a few items on each list to get you started thinking beyond the floor plan and toward your long term plan to live in a community.