Buying a house is extremely intimidating. Have you ever found yourself sitting up at night, staring at your laptop and just wishing the choice could be made for you? Or at least you knew what you had to look for?

In the frazzle of things, that can become the most difficult part; knowing what you are looking for. This is particularly the case when it is your first time buying a home. What are the things you have to take into consideration?

There is a whole list of things to consider when deciding where to buy a home, but only a few of them are really important. Your home is where you will begin and end every day, possibly for the rest of your life.

Doesn’t it make sense that you want the best home possible? Well here are a few things you should be thinking about while you search for your dream home!

Work

How far are are you currently travelling to work? Consider for a moment the fact that whatever that time is, you want to find somewhere that matches that time or less. Too often home buyers purchase a house without considering the commute.

A good rule of thumb is to try and make sure you are around 20 minutes (or less) drive from work, so that you don’t find yourself waking up each morning and feeling grumpy about the inevitable trip to work.

This is even more of an important point to make if you have children, as you will need to be able to get them to and from school on time as well as get yourself to your own job.

Noise

Have you ever had noisy neighbours? This one is something you’ll definitely want to check before you buy a house. Noisy neighbours can and will easily ruin your excitement about your new home immediately. Unless of course you enjoy the loud music and/or talking.

For all those people who enjoy the peace and serenity of a silent neighbourhood, you should definitely take this tip before purchasing your new home. Any real-estate agent will likely tell you the neighbours are quiet at the risk of not making a sale, so here is a way to make sure for yourself.

Drive past the house on a week night and on a weekend night. See if there is much noise on those nights. It would help to do this a few times to make sure that everything is alright. This may seem a little much, but remember how much money you will be putting into this house.

Convenience

It may not be something you consider now, but you will definitely wish you had thought of this when you are living in your new home. Groceries. You need to be able to access shops easily, whether it is a local convenience store or a supermarket.

A good way to make this clearer is to consider when you run out of milk one morning and need your morning caffeine hit before work. Would you really feel like a 20-minute trip to the store in order to get just milk?

Having a store near your home, even just one that sells the basics will most certainly be a life saver on multiple occasions ever single week. Remember when choosing your location, that you will certainly want the convenience of easy access groceries.

School

This one isn’t just for those people who are already parents, but also those who may be considering having a family in the future. It’s always a good idea before purchasing a house that you make sure there is a school nearby that you may want your child to attend one day.

Family

Your family is important and you’ll likely want to find a home that isn’t too far from your family. This means not in another city or state, generally. Remember that your family will always be there for you and therefore you should likely try to do the same.

You’ll want to make sure that in the event of anything happening to either you, or your family, you or they can travel quickly to make sure that things are alright.

In the end, choosing your home is often subjective and should be based on your own preferences. The only advice you can really seek is that which is in this article, otherwise you should take everything else into consideration for yourself and, if you have a partner, discuss it with them.

Your new home is where you’re going to build a life around. Every rise and fall of life will end up back at your home, where you can seek refuge from the bad and celebrate the good, so making sure your home reflects your dreams is extremely important. That being said, Happy house hunting!

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The information included in this article is a private opinion and it shouldn’t be considered as advice and does not take into account your personal or business situation.