Before we bought the house we’re living in now, we rented for seven years and in that time lived in four different houses! Moving house so many times gave us a real idea of what we wanted out of a home when the time came for us to buy. From the feng shui of the house, to the size of the rooms, we definitely knew what we would like in our ideal home. We finally bought our first home in 2015. There’s the obvious checks that need to be done in terms of safety, but we had our own idea of what we wanted in a house. Here’s our list of things to look for when buying a new home.
Rooms big enough for our needs
Not only did we want to ensure we had enough rooms to accommodate our growing family, we also wanted to make sure the rooms were a good size. I was pregnant with our third baby when we bought this house, and we knew we needed at least three bedrooms. Some of the three bedroomed houses we viewed just wouldn’t have been suitable for our brood, as we knew the boys would need to share a room. Their room now is a good size and plenty of room for all their clothes and toys.
Central heating
In the last house we rented, we had a terrible time with central heating systems and trying to keep it warm. Therefore we knew central heating was an absolute must in the house we wanted to buy. We are really impressed with the set up we have now. We have a boiler that actually works (oh the luxury!) and are able to heat upstairs and downstairs independently. You can’t underestimate the pure joy of having central heating boilers that actually work! You can’t beat having a warm and toasty house on a freezing cold winter’s night.
Garden
A garden was an absolute must for us. We knew we needed somewhere for the kids to go and play and get some fresh air. We also wanted an area for us too, where we could sit in the summer evenings. Whilst we don’t have the hugest of gardens, it’s nice to have our own outdoor space where the kids can play.
Storage
With three kids we definitely need to utilise storage well. Our last house was a bungalow and storage areas were almost nonexistent. We were therefore so excited to find this house had quite a sizeable under-the-stairs storage area. Finally I could hide my hoover and ironing board!
Location
We wanted to ensure our house was centrally located. We wanted it to be reasonably close to the kids’ school and with easy access to public transport. We both drive but it’s handy to be on a public bus route should the need arise. We also wanted to be reasonably close to a park for the kids, as well as shops and local amenities. We didn’t want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere!
What are your must haves when buying a new home?
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These are some great tips – I hope to own a home one day and these are some tips I will definitely keep in mind.
Another quick tip, visit the home at different times of day before you purchase. The light and traffic can change so much it can make a real difference
Heating is such a good tip because its something that can be quite difficult to change or deal with later. It can be such a big ongoing expense its definitely something to keep in mind while buying. Other than the basic practical things, honestly for me its location location location!
As a homeowner these are some tips I thought to do too!
When we bought our house there seemed to be TONS of storage. But as soon as we moved in I realised there wasn’t half as much as I thought. I was so annoyed as that was one of the main reasons we went for it!
Louise x