Our New Home Checklist
Nice-to-Have vs. Need-to-Have
Currently, we are on the hunt for a new home and let’s just say there is nothing crazier than the housing market of 2021. Home inventory is at record lows and home prices are selling for record highs. If you are actively searching for a home, be ready to put up a fight in order to get it. Homes are being purchased at record rates the moment they hit the market and nearly all have competing offers which make the chances of winning the bid for the home of your dreams that much harder.
Drone images from a recent home inspection. Images courtesy of Rob Goodwin, owner of DMV Home Inspections.
To help narrow your search and keep yourself on track when it comes to what you’re looking for in a home, it always helps to have a list of nice-to-have’s. These are the things you would love to have come with your new home, but you don’t necessarily require them. The need-to-have’s…they are just that, you need them. This is the criteria you’ve identified as the required necessities that your home must have. Here is a list of our must-have’s and nice-to-have’s we’re looking for in a home.
This kitchen has been one of my favorites out of the many homes we have toured recently.
Our Nice-to-Have’s…
Community Pool
4+ Bedrooms
3+ Bathrooms
Detached garage
1 acre + of property
Updated HVAC, roof, gutters
New windows
Finished basement
Shed
Waterfront and/or water access community
Oversized laundry area
Mud room
In-law suite
Our Need-to-Have’s…
Good school district
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
Office
Garage
Ample storage space
Spacious, flat yard
Needs updating
Sensible layout and good bones
Safe community
Within a reasonable driving distance to Washington D.C.
Good resale opportunity
Kid-friendly community with lots of kids
Fireplace
Free from major structural or system issues
At a recent home showing, we loved seeing how this formal dining room was converted into the cutest school room.
What are your must-have’s and nice-to-have’s in a home? Share with us in the comments below.