Seven things to consider when buying your ‘forever home’
Whether you're already on the property ladder or are renting and saving for your dream house, finding your 'forever home' can feel like a daunting task.
While budget will obviously dictate the price range of options available to you, any home buyer will naturally want to strive for as close to perfection as possible, so there are a few vital points you need to consider while searching to make sure that you get the best possible purchase for your money - in terms of longevity, investment potential and general life satisfaction.
From location, to interiors, scope for improvement and quality of fixtures, property expert James Hartley, director at North Sands Developments, shares his top considerations for finding your perfect ‘forever home’.
1/ Location
"Undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of finding a ‘forever home’ is finding the right location. This is crucial to the needs and priorities of everyone in the household - now and in the future. Consider the property’s location in regards to school catchment areas and do some research into how those schools are performing and how well they would suit your children.
"While a garden is a wonderful feature, it’s also important to ensure that there are nearby outside locations for you and your family to enjoy outside of the garden – whether that’s parks, woodland, walking or cycling trails, or any nearby countryside where you can enjoy fresh air and exercise with family and pets.
"It’s also important to ensure that public transport links are convenient for getting to your place of work and to the nearest city or town centre, or to note nearby major motorways for commuting, so be sure to do your homework."
2/ Budget
"Having a ballpark budget figure in mind will allow you to search for homes but, dependant on what you find, it’s always important to keep money aside for sprucing up the interior and for future extensions. It gives you a good guideline as to what you can realistically afford and what you need to compromise on - but don’t forget additional fees on top of the deposit for the cost of solicitors, like mortgage booking fees, arrangement fees, valuation fees and surveyor fees, as well as lender or broker fees if you choose to use them."
3/ Interiors
"From the quality of fixtures and fittings to the size and placement of rooms, the interior of a home is obviously a very important consideration. Consider the internal layout of a home to ensure it works for your family’s lifestyle and provides plenty of space. Again, ask yourself some questions about your preferences: is the kitchen the heart of your home? Would you like an open-plan living space? Do all the bedrooms need to be the same size? Will you need all bedrooms moving forward, or will you need more?"
4/ Spaces with value
"Based on the interior of the home, think about where you can create spaces of value for yourself and your family. In these uncertain times, with many of us having spent much more time at home, living and working remotely, it is important to ensure that your property possesses suitable spaces to ensure that your living quality is good should a pandemic arise in the future, or anything else force you to have a prolonged period at home. Quiet, tranquil spaces for relaxation and reading, a study for remote working, and a good-sized garden are just a few suggestions to keep in mind when considering how to ensure your property is a 'forever home'."
5/ Quality appliances and electronics
"Once you’ve decided if a property and its spaces are a good fit for you, to keep your home running smoothly it’s important to choose good-quality appliances and electronics to improve your quality of living. Do your research online, ask trusted friends and family and choose a high standard of main appliances and electronics, such as ovens, fridge freezers, internet, tech, heating controls and good Wifi, should you need to work remotely. The better the investment, the longer these will last, so it’s worth paying out for quality."
6/ Scope for extension
"It’s also a good idea to consider if the property has potential to be extended in the future, providing you with further space that will help to raise the value of your home. Increasing the space in your home with an extension can be a great investment for your family, and is another option to consider rather than moving to a larger house and paying stamp duty.
"It’s worth looking into the viability of whether a property can legally be extended and dimensions for any potential works before saying yes, so you can have an idea of what you can do with the property in future."
7/ Future plans
"A property is one of the biggest purchases of a lifetime, so it’s important to think about what the future may bring as this decision will affect the entire family. For example, a growing family might need more space in years to come, while a family with older children may wish to downsize after they've moved out."
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