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Investing In A Better Home


How To Recognize Your Dream Home

Recognizing your dream home may be more difficult than you think. Your dream home likely won't be in the exact condition that you have envisioned. Just like a precious old gemstone that needs polish and a new setting to be recognized for its true worth, you need to be able to look beyond certain things in order to find the diamond in the rough. Here's a guide to recognizing your dream home when you come upon it.

Focus on Layout, Not Décor

When shopping for a new home, you'll encounter all kinds of decorating styles that don't reflect your own taste. The previous homeowner may have painted all the rooms in colors or tones that you dislike. They may have rooster appliques lining the kitchen walls, or psychedelic shag carpeting in living room.

To discover your dream home, you need to be able to see beyond the décor of the home to what lies beneath. Focus your attention on the layout of the house. The layout of the home will greatly influence how you and your family move about the home. Consider things like the width and length of the hallways and doorways, the height of the ceilings, the size of the rooms and the positions of the windows.

See the Forest and the Trees

Your dream home may include premium outdoor space for your family to enjoy. The back and front yard of a home you're viewing with your realtor may not look anything like what you have in mind. It may be too shady, too barren, too rocky or littered with old toys and rusty lawn equipment.

When you consider the outdoor space of a potential new home, try to imagine it as a blank canvas. Find out where the boundaries of the property are, and go from there. Remember that trees can be trimmed or cut down, mature shrubbery can be planted, and lawns can be transformed. As long as you have the acreage that you desire, you may be able to work with the land to make it fit with your dream.

Consider the Transformative Value of Good Maintenance

Your realtor may show you a house that the previous owner hasn't kept well-maintained. Many homeowners can't afford minor wallboard or tile repairs, let alone a new roof or HVAC system. They may let a property get so run down that its former glory is practically invisible.

Your dream home may be a victim to such a homeowner. Don't turn away just because it's unsightly. Try to imagine the house with a fresh coat of paint, a new front door or brand new hardwood floors. Your dream home will emerge under your tender loving care.

With a little imagination and attention on your part, you may find your dream home hidden where others passed it by.

About Me

Investing In A Better Home

Few things are more overwhelming than choosing your first home. I would know, because I purchased my first place about a year ago. When we first moved in, we realized that there were a few things that we were going to need to change. Even though we had carefully looked over the listing and walked through the property, the house was riddled with problems like broken outlets, bad paint jobs, and even broken plumbing fixtures. Fortunately, we learned how to fix things on our own, which has saved us a lot of money. This blog is all about real estate, DIY projects, and the joy of home ownership.