Before you start your home search, you need to come up with a plan to determine what is most important to you. For some homebuyers, location will be the most important consideration. For other buyers, budget and financial considerations will take precedence. By thinking through your priorities ahead of time, you can make better decisions at each step of the homebuying process.

Know your priorities

The first step to determining your criteria is to get clear on your wants and needs – both short and long term. Consider job stability, potential income changes, household size, and lifestyle shifts. Will you need a move-in-ready home, or are you open to a fixer-upper?

Determining your priorities is a highly personal exercise, but by thinking things through you’ll come into the process knowing exactly what you’re looking for. 

Determine your must-haves vs nice-to-haves

Part of prioritizing for your home search involves determining what features are essential and which ones are negotiable. Think through your must-haves and nice-to-haves for each of the following:

1. Location: Do you need to be in a specific location or can you branch out with your home search to similar neighborhoods? Are you limited in where you can live based on your commute or preferred schools or are you more focused on the type of home rather than where it is located?
2. School District: Do you have school-age children or will you have school-age children in the near future? Are you focused on staying in the same school district they are currently in or are you trying to move up to a more desirable school district? Are your children homeschooled or do they attend private schools so that school district is a less important consideration for your purchase?
3. Commute: Do you need to be near public transportation or a commuter rail station? Do you need to be able to easily commute to your workplace or do you primarily work from home, making this less important?
4. Home Type: Are you leaning towards a single-family home, condo, or townhouse? Be open to alternatives based on other priorities.
5. Style: Are you drawn to modern updates or historical charm? Looking for new construction might not be the way to go. Decide if you prefer a turnkey home or one that needs some work.
6. Bedrooms/Bathrooms: How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need in your home? Do you have frequent guests who will require their own dedicated space? Make sure to look for spaces that match your needs and lifestyle, both now and in the future.
7. Outdoor Space: Want to extend your living space beyond the four walls of your home? Maybe you need a balcony for your morning coffee or can’t wait to soak in a hot tub. Could your need for outdoor space be satisfied with common spaces like those you’d find as part of the amenity package in a resort-style planned community?
8. Budget: Determine your price range and how much you want to allocate to your home versus lifestyle expenses.

Need more help?

If you’re looking for some more insight into the market, the best ways to budget, or get more insight into what matters – reach out to a member of our concierge team. Our licensed, non-selling real estate agents (“Home Advisors”) are standing by and ready to help you.

Or, if you already have a lender through one of our lender partners, work with your loan officer to put together a plan that makes sense for your budget, and work with us to get you connected to the best agent in your area. 

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