Not to be debbie downer, but the perfect house doesn’t exist (or it’s $500k over your budget). There’s ALWAYS something you want to change, whether it’s a big thing or a small annoyance. For me…the refrigerator opens into the wall and every time I open the fridge I bang it into the wall. For others, it could be a much bigger issues: smaller bedrooms, tiny kitchen, no backyard, etc. The Wish List could go on forever.
So how do you overcome all of that to really find the right place? Evaluate the properties based on these 3 things:
1. Price
2. Location
3. Condition
Condition
You can’t control the condition of which the house is put on the market for sale. You can control what it will look like once you buy it. So are the bones good? Can you remodel it or redo a kitchen/bathroom to make it what you want? At the current price, do you have any money left over to put back into the house?
Price
There are a few approaches you can take with price strategies. You can buy the best house for what you can afford, and live with it the way it is if you don’t have extra cash to put into it, or you can buy a cheaper house and put money into it to make it what you want. Just be mindful of not overextending yourself. You don’t want to max out your budget, and be left with nothing for furnishings, appliances, etc.
Location
This is the major thing you CAN NOT change. You can’t move the house, so you have to decide between the ideal location, but maybe a not “perfect” house or a more ideal house but not ideal location. What’s more important to you: the right location or the right house?
It’s a lot to consider. If you need help evaluating your options, let me help! Email me at Laura@TheLJRGroup.com or call my cell at 703.283.6120.