How to Choose a Home

BTW – This post is just 1 in a series of Home Design and Build posts. You can find them all right here: Positively Jane's Home Design and Build.

My husband and I have moved about 16 times. I know, exhausting, right? Many of those moves were to apartments/rentals. 4 of them were overseas. Within those 16 times we have purchased or built 7 houses and are ready to build another house (I sure hope this is the last house I build!)

Every single time we are looking for a house we make a list of what we want or included. Such as:

• 2 (or 3)car garage
• Master on the main
• 3 bedrooms upstairs
• Large ( or small) lot
• Cul-de-sac lot
• Lot with trees
• Quiet neighborhood
• Close to shopping
• Good schools
• Parking for guests
• And…of course price

And this time is no exception.

When we built our last house (finished October 2018) we thought we would die in that house. It was our dream house on a lake. But, life has a way of surprising us and we sold that house and moved to Greenville, SC in December 2022.

We found an amazing rental cottage in a community of 140+ other rental cottages. We are surrounded by 14 miles of walking trails. We don't have our own yard…it's all a common area for everyone. Our cottage is 2000 square feet (small for us). And even though we love it…I can't rent forever. I need that sense of permanence when owning a home.

We hired a Buyers Agent to take us around.

Since we were new to the area and needed to choose a home, we hired Sam with Berkshire Hathaway, to take us around and look at neighborhoods. NOT houses. Just neighborhoods. We have realized that finding the right neighborhood is more important than the house. A house can be changed and/or updated. A neighborhood is what it is.

When choosing a home/neighborhood we look at:

• How much traffic is there?
• Is it noisy?
• Who lives there? All retired people, families, singles?
• Is the neighborhood updated? Meaning are the houses old and getting fixed up…or just old.
• What about schools?
• What about distance to activities? (I am really not into driving 40 minutes to take a Pilates Class.)
• How large are the houses? Big and small? Small? Or just big?
• Can we ride our bikes or walk or…is it too hilly?
• What is the price point of the houses in that area?
• Is it a desirable area?
• How close is the airport?

ALL the things.

Once we have narrowed it down to 1 or 2 neighborhoods the next list began. This is our personal list for our current purchase:

• Master suite on the main
  • Deck tub not freestanding
  • Separate toilet area
  • Separate closets if possible
• Guest bedroom and bathroom upstairs
• Small TV/sitting space upstairs
• Study for Willy
• Craft room for Jane
• Small office for Jane
• Coat closet, bench and hooks with a ‘drop zone' table as we come into the house from the garage
• Attache 2 car garage + golf cart bay
• Bike storage (6 bikes)
• Work bench area
• Storage for Christmas decorations, canning jars, and all the things we just can't get rid of
• Large kitchen with an island
  • Prefer the sink to NOT be on the island
  • Scullery/Pantry
• Large dining area
• Family room with a wood burning fireplace
• Flat yard with few steps
• Small yard with not much maintenance
• Porch or veranda large enough for seating and a table/chairs

And of course….price. Our max budget.

Now, I won't get into how much money you should spend on a house as it pertains to down payment, taxes, insurance, and mortgage payment right now. I just implore you to NOT spend too much on your house. Don't be house poor. There is really nothing worse than having this house and no money to do anything fun. Take it from someone who knows!

The final decision.

Usually the final decision is pretty obvious. And, for us, our house/lot purchase is usually based on emotion…and not necessarily our complete list. But this time…it fit the list.

We bought a small lot. This limits the size of the house. Even though it slopes to the back we found out that we can put a retaining wall in the back, add dirt, and create side yard living. Big enough for corn hole/badminton, a fire pit and string lights (a must in my book.)

Compromise is key.

It is rare that everything on your list will be achieved. Even if you are building (there is that little thing called budget.) Put the big rocks in your bucket first. And, if you have the money, go on and add the rest.

When choosing to buy a home or a lot to build a home make a list. A running list. No filters. And then rate the most important musts against the least important wants.

And remember, if you have a partner…2 people get to add their input! Not just one!

If you would like to take a look at the process that I went through in buying our lot, finding a builder, creating a floor plan with ALL the details PLUS lighting, tile, floors, paint colors, furniture etc check out this page: House Design and Build

Furniture Choices.

As you are designing your home take into consideration the furniture that you would like to have. How big is the sofa? Do you want a large dining table? Will your bed have a canopy? All of that helps in the design process.

These are a few of the things that I put on my Inspiration Board. Large dining table, traditional sofa, gold light fixtures, canopy bed…

Inspiration Board: