Putting Together the Pieces:
a Primer on Investing in Your New Home
Step 1: Analyzing Your Needs in a Consultation

The first thing we want to do is determine you "needs and desires" for your new home. What follows is the exact questionairre we use with our clients:

General Questions
1. What price range are you looking for?
2. When do you want to move into your new home?
3. Is this a first home purchase, relocation, a move-up, etc.?

Current Home
1. What do you like about your current home?
2. What don’t you like about your current home?

Household
1. How many people are in your household?
2. Does your new home need to accommodate any special needs?
3. Do you have pets?
4. Are there any other household considerations you should take into account in the home search?

Lifestyle
1. What do you enjoy doing most when you are at home?
2. What room do you spend the most time in at home?
3. What lifestyle considerations are important to you?

Location
1. What location do you prefer (think about what your ideal location would be like)?
2. Are there any secondary locations you would consider?
3. What other location considerations are important to you?

Exterior Features
1. What style of homes are you interested in?
2. What size yard are you looking for?
3. Do you want a pool?
4. Are you looking for a home with a garage?
5. What other exterior features are important to you?

General Interior Features
1. How many stories do you prefer?
2. In general, how does the interior look (open, cozy, funky, etc.)?
3. How many bedrooms/bathrooms does the home have?

Room by Room Interior Features
1. What are your likes and dislikes for the master bedroom?
2. What are your likes and dislikes for the master bathroom?
3. What are your likes and dislikes for the secondary bedrooms?
4. What are your likes and dislikes for the secondary bathrooms?
5. What are your likes and dislikes for the living room?
6. What are your likes and dislikes for the family room?
7. What are your likes and dislikes for the kitchen (And, are the kitchen and family area adjoining or separate)?
8. What other rooms in the home are important to you to have (home office, separate laundry room, formal dining room, etc.)? What do these rooms look like?
9. What other interior features are important to you?

What are the five 'Must-Haves' of your ideal home?
1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________

There is no such thing as a 100% perfect house. It is very important that after you’ve thought about these questions, you write down your 5 “must-haves” and let us know what they are. When we find a home that has your 5 “must-haves,” that is, a 90 – 95% house, we're going to suggest that you consider writing an offer.

Index       Step 2