basic criteria for selecting a house...

2/22, mon, 5:10am

picking a home to settle down in is perhaps one of the biggest decisions one makes in their life. here are some important criteria that we used when buying a home. people have different criteria which are highly dependent on budget and family needs.

there is no perfect home and every house has its warts related to location/house type. remember - just because you're OK with those warts, it doesn't mean the next owner will be OK. thus trying to minimize those warts is key to future resale.

of course in an ideal world, you'd want a house with the best schools, the perfect house w/ optimum layout, in a cul de sac, far from freeways/busy streets/shopping centers, an expandable layout on a big treeless lot. but then it'd be too easy :) so you have to prioritize.

finally - perhaps the most important criteria is LOCATION. a house can always be changed but the location cannot. so definitely think about location very carefully, above everything.

home selection criteria, not in any order of priority:

1. schools: (based on school district boundaries, what schools are you permitted to attend?)
2. lot: size (sq ft), shape (rectangular, pie shaped), topography (flat, bumpy), trees (size of trees [usu established trees are NOT removable], placement of trees on lot), buildable area
   
3. house: size (sq ft), bedrooms/bathrooms, layout (is it expandable?), updates (updated kitchen/bathrooms? age of HVAC (furnace, ductwork), roof (age, condition), windows (double pane, single pane), presence of asbestos? (ductwork, linoleum tile, popcorn ceiling)
   
4. location: consider traffic, noise -- proximity to freeway (noise, dust/grime, vehicle exhaust emissions/child asthma), proximity to busy streets (on or near, noise), on a major thorughfare/feeder street, proximity to railroad tracks/airport/plane flight path, proximity to retail stores/schools
   
5. neighborhood: what type of neighborhood? how well maintained are houses on the street? number/type/condition of cars parked? are there kids playing? people walking around? what happens in early eve/evening/late at night?

i'll post examples illustrating the above in future posts.

lots to consider. but definitely worthwhile to invest enough time. remember these are just things to think about on paper while you go check out homes in person on your own. nothing beats walking the neighborhood and using your own senses/powers of observation. one of the biggest things to do is to go and talk to the neighbors and ask them what they think. of course neighbors are biased (and committed) but you will get a feel.

lastly, nothing beats a good real estate agent who ideally is specialized in your search area and can tell you the gory details behind the neighborhoods and houses. they can only tell you so much so it's up to you to learn and ultimately be a comparable "expert" on your target area.

-mc