Finding the Perfect Home

Once you decide to leave behind your existing home, you may have a vision of “the perfect home” in mind. Finding the perfect home may be a daunting ask, but with a few tips in mind to help shape your vision, finding the right home for you may not be as complicated as you think! What should you consider?

See potential, not just what’s presently there

Love the location, size and price point of a potential home, but can’t get past the 80’s shag carpet and fuchsia colored walls? Try to imagine what the home would look like with a few cosmetic touches. Paint is one of the least-expensive remodeling costs, and a new color can make a tremendous visual impact! Remember, once the home is yours, you’ll be able to put your style and personal tastes in design on each space and truly make it your own. Some of the best home bargains out there are homes where potential buyers lacked vision to see beyond cosmetic appearances.

Inspections are important

Find a home you really like? Get an inspection done to ensure you have a non-biased view of your potential new home. If there are underlying issues that require a tremendous amount of financial resources to resolve, you’ll be glad this was discovered before the home becomes yours. After the home inspection is completed, you’ll have the opportunity to re-negotiate a purchase price, have the current buyer resolve the issues, or possibly walk away, before finalizing your offer.

Budget

Budget is important. Before even stepping into your first showing of a potential new home, it’s just good business to have a pre-approval for your loan. This not only helps narrow down your options to a price point that will be comfortable, but helps you avoid disappointment at finding a home you’d love, but would eventually lead to heartbreak due to financial stress. When looking at your budget, also consider your lifestyle. What other activities do you like to participate in? Do you enjoy travel? Going out in Minneapolis? Golf? Skiing? Think of other ways you may enjoy spending your money and be sure your home budget allows for you to continue to participate in other activities you love.

Must haves vs. Nice to haves

Perhaps you’d love to have a lower level master, but an amazing home that meets all of your other criteria has one on the main level. Maybe you’d love to have a wine cellar, but a potential home seems to be missing that amenity. Try making a list of your “must haves” vs. your “nice to haves”. Create two columns, with one for each category. Decide which items would be negotiable, if you were to find a home with a majority of your biggest “must haves”. Then refer to the first item in this article, and see if you can modify to meet the other desired needs.

Location

Once you find a home with a look and style that you really like, consider the impact it has in relation to the other places you spend much of your time. Is it a reasonable distance from where you work, or at least within close access to a major freeway? Are you relatively close to an airport if you need to travel? Check out the community as well, for opportunities to spend your time and recreational dollars, i.e. shopping, nightlife and community events. And, of course, if you have kids or are potentially planning on growing your family, research the schools available.

We would love to be part of your journey in finding your new home. If you’re considering moving to the Lakeville, Apple Valley, or Eagan area, we can help find the perfect community and home for you! Don’t hesitate to call us at (651) 503-4158.