We have learned many things about buying a house from living in the same one for over 10 years. We moved into our house and planned to stay just a few years. We thought we could fix a few things. Paint a few things and put up a FOR SALE sign but things have not worked out that way.
Since we moved into our house we have had four children and our space has gotten very tight. Overcrowding and not having the space for each person to have their own space has caused quite a few arguments. So I am sharing some tips for buying a house even if you do not have children or pets now but plan to in the future!
Garage or Driveway– If you own a vehicle then one of these is a must especially if you live in a four-seasons state like we do. Scraping ice off your windows in order to drive to school, work, or the grocery is no fun! A garage would be a big solution to some of our storage issues and parking would not be a problem either.
Closet Space– Unless you are a complete minimalist then you will need decent closet space. Think of all the activities that you do all year long like camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, sledding, etc. Then determine how much space each of those takes for each person in your family! Even with space saver bags that are vacuumed sealed shut you will still need your basic outerwear for each season for each person.
Bathrooms– We are constantly standing in line for a chance to use the potty! With six people it makes it very tough to have some peace and quiet! We have kept a child’s potty seat in our bathroom since Eldest and Princess were potty training which has helped. Otherwise the boys can pee on the tree in the backyard OR pee in the shower! So if you do not want to have to wait in line like we do consider a bath and a half a must have!
Kitchen– Riley and I realized after we bought our house how much we enjoy cooking together but in a smaller eat-in style kitchen that is harder to do. Sometimes I prep veggies on the table while he cooks on the stove or I cook at the stove and he grills out meat on the front porch. Appliances are a whole topic that really depends on the size of your kitchen. Newer “deep” appliances are much deeper then many older styled kitchen cabinets and counter tops which means newer appliances stick out!
Bedrooms– How many and how big they should be really depends on many factors. Do you have an office or play room for desks or toy boxes that are usually crammed in a bedroom corner? The size of your bed frames and the amount of bedroom furniture that you already own all should be deciding factors when you are buying a house!
Basement or Attic Storage– Some people love having extra space to store all of that seasonal gear like bikes, sleds, camping or fishing gear. Some people really enjoy decorating for various holidays and need space to store those decorations.
Yard or Acreage– Do you want to feel fresh grass under your feet which you have to keep mowed or do you prefer a concrete patio? Maybe you want to live back off the street a bit and prefer a large front yard? Maybe you enjoy gardening and want a large backyard. Maybe you are an apartment lover and just want a tiny space to put out a few potted plants and enjoy a sip of coffee each morning!
My husband and I plan on purchasing a home in the next year or so. We are making a list of our “must haves”, “would be nice to haves”, and “don’t wants”. It would be great to get as many of the “would be nice to haves” as possible, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker if the home doesn’t have them. Great tips, thanks for sharing!
My friend lives in an apartment with his family, and they were thinking about moving into a house. It’s interesting that you should look for closet space and determine how much you will need. His wife has a lot of clothes, and will need quite a bit of space to fit everything.