Home Selection Checklist – A good help in choosing a home
This home selection checklist is a tool to help you choose a home that is right for you and your family. Before choosing a home and taking out a mortgage, you need to know if you will be happy with the home you choose for years to come. Choosing a home is an important step in your life, and using a Smart Choice Checklist will help you think about all the things you need to know about the home before you buy. Take a checklist with you to any home you may choose and write down all the important points for choosing a home on the checklist. Use the checklist for each potential home selection and you’ll have a “fact book” to review and analyze before making your final home selection.
These important factors when choosing a home are designed to help you create your own checklist.
You can then research homes for sale and see how each home compares to other homes you’ve chosen to view. By the time you’re ready to get a mortgage, you’ll know exactly the pros and cons of each home from the selection checklist.
- How old is the structure? Older homes require more maintenance. Mortgages on older homes can be harder to get. The mortgage insurance and homeowner’s protection required by the mortgage company you choose can be more expensive for the home. Mark on the selection checklist any items that need repair if you select this home.
- How many floors is the house? If you or a family member are elderly or expect to live in your chosen home for years, stairs can be a serious problem. If you are young and won’t be living in this home for years, this shouldn’t be a problem. Put this on your shortlist if it’s an issue for you and your family. Note on your home checklist any choice items that may make family visits difficult. It would be a big inconvenience to say the least if your family can’t visit because of stairs or hills.
- What material is the construction of the house? Concrete slab and block houses pose a lower fire threat and this will affect your home insurance and maybe even your mortgage rates. Put the building type you prefer in the home selection checklist.
- Kitchen Space: How Large a Kitchen Will Fit Your Lifestyle? Is the refrigerator old or recently new? Is the stove in good condition? Do you prefer to cook on a gas or electric stove? Do you want garbage disposal? Determine exactly what is important in a kitchen and put those selections on your checklist. Then rate each property you can choose in terms of how many of the checklist features are included. Of course, some selection checklist features are easy enough to add; other functions of the selection checklist cannot be changed.
- Living Areas: Is formal living area and den an important choice on your personal choice list? List on the housing selection checklist you need. Are there plant windows if you are a plant lover? Is the carpet in the potential home in good condition? Consider these things before you sign a mortgage! Note all likely expenses on your home checklist for later review. Use them in your mortgage budget
- Laundry facilities: Does your home have laundry facilities that won’t require you to run up and down the stairs to bring the laundry from the bedrooms to the washing machine? Are the connections in good condition? A note about the selection checklist. Put on the selection checklist all the items you would choose to replace when you move into the home. Write on the checklist the estimated cost to replace the items you have selected as unacceptable. Be sure to budget so you can pay the mortgage and renovate your chosen home after purchase.
- Bedrooms: Is your family established or are you planning more children? Are there enough bedrooms for guests? Is the master bedroom in the home selection big enough? Getting a mortgage on a home that is too small can be a big mistake. Put in the selection checklist exactly the size of the home you need to choose.
- Wardrobes: Will there be enough wardrobe space for your family’s clothes? Put on your checklist how many closets you need.
- Bathrooms: Will there be enough facilities in your home selection to allow everyone space for their personal belongings and enough time to use the facilities. Large families require multiple bathrooms; be sure to put this on your home selection checklist! A choice that requires adding bathrooms plus mortgage payments can be expensive. Consider this in your mortgage budget.
- Roof: Examine the materials and condition. If the roof looks like it’s going to need some repair soon, consider this major expense when pricing your mortgage. The roof is very expensive. Research the cost of roof replacement before making an offer. Note these costs on the household checklist. Will your budget cover mortgage and roof costs?
- Boiler: Look at the boiler and determine its condition. Look for areas that may have leaked and resulting damage. Also, is the water heater gas or electric in the home selection? More notes for your home checklist.
- Air Conditioning/Heating: Do these units in the home selection look old or new? Are they energy efficient? If you sign a mortgage on a home only to find out that the entire heating or HVAC needs to be replaced, you could be causing yourself financial stress. A checklist of the approximate age of each appliance and piece of equipment in the potential home selection. Include checklist notes on the cost of replacing older items. Put notes in your home mortgage selection that you may want a home inspection or warranty if the equipment looks older; your checklist choices can keep you from making a big mortgage mistake!
- Utility Expenses: Don’t be afraid to ask homeowners to see their electric, gas, and water bills. If the home you choose is well insulated and energy efficient, they’ll be happy to show you around. Energy costs are important items on the home selection checklist.
- Neighborhood: Do you want to be in a gated community? Is there a play area for children near the home? What about schools? Is the neighborhood around the chosen home clean and attractive? Drive around the neighborhood; view other homes to learn about the area before making your mortgage home selection. Safe neighborhoods help not only with easy mortgage approval, but also with insurance. Check this item off your home selection list.
- Yard: If you have children or pets, you may want a large yard. If you’re a gardener, a nice yard is important. Again, check everything that really matters in your selection of an ideal home.
- Parking: Is there room for your cars and guests? Is there a garage? A carport? Is the driveway in good condition? Include in your home selection checklist what is important to you. Again, if they require repairs, put those notes on the checklist so you can budget accordingly.
- Future expansion: If you wish to expand the home in the future, then is there room on the property without crowding? Think about the future before you mortgage a home that you may need to sell later as your family’s needs grow.
- Zoning and Restrictions: If you have a home business, is it allowed in the potential neighborhood? Choosing a home that prevents the activities you value would be a bad mistake. Some communities have restrictions on operating a car or motorcycle, boat parking, and other issues that you should know before making your final home selection. Keep this item on your shortlist if you’re working on your car or have a boat next to your home.
- Work: Is your chosen home close to your workplace? If not, is there easy highway access for easy travel from home? Will you start to hate the idea of going to work from this place? Note on your home selection checklist the miles you will drive per day and the cost.
- Shopping: Grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, and the like should be in close proximity to your chosen home. Note on the selection checklist how far it is from home to the nearest shopping centers. A checklist of where you would go from your home to shop.
- Sidewalks: This item on the home selection checklist is important for families with children. If there are no sidewalks, then children will not be able to easily walk to visit friends, ride bicycles, or do other activities that children like to do. Also make a checklist if you enjoy walking or walking for exercise.
- Entertainment, Churches, Activities: If you have activities you enjoy doing, consider the drive time from choosing a home. Will your kids’ Saturday movie visits turn into a long drive? Are there at least a few doctors near the potential home? The entertainment your family enjoys should be relatively easy to get to.
- Neighborhood lighting: If you like to go out at night or your kids will be playing outside, is the area well lit? Not only are these selection criteria important for your kids, but burglars just hate a well-lit home and neighborhood! Check some safety questions you need before considering a mortgage.
- Traffic: If you have children, your new neighborhood should have low traffic. Also, traffic equals noise. Also consider this important fact. A home on a highway disappoints many.
This home selection checklist is intended to help you consider checking out the important home selection options before getting a home mortgage. Make a personalized home selection checklist that includes the things that are important to YOU and YOUR FAMILY, and then take it with you when you home shop. With a checklist
in hand, you can make the choice that will delight you for years!
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