Find Your New Home with Chandler AZ Homes Buying Check List

Chandler AZ Homes Buying Check List: Needs Versus Wants in Your New Home

Thinking about buying a new Chandler AZ home in the New Year? If so, it’s natural to have a “dream home” wish list. Maybe you want to be on a golf course, close to great schools, or located at the quiet end of a cul-de-sac. Perhaps you want at least four bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen, or multiple walk-in closets. As you look at different homes, using a Chandler AZ homes buying check list can help you track which features are absolute must-haves and which are bonus features but not deal breakers. Essentially, it comes down to understanding the difference between wants versus needs in a home: what do you absolutely NEED to have and what do you want but can ultimately live without?

Chandler AZ Real Estate: Top Home Buying Needs

The first step in putting together a home buying check list is determine what’s a “need” versus a “want”. If you have young children, for example, being in the Chandler Unified School District may be an absolute necessity. Proximity to your nearest elementary school may matter more than waterfront property. For older adults or retirees, easy access to the golf course may be far more important than being in the right school district. Other home buying needs to consider include easy access to a highway for Chandler AZ Jobs, the size of the kitchen or quality of appliances, an attached garage, a fenced and landscaped backyard, or an open plan kitchen and living. Finally, consider your family’s specific needs when creating your “need” list. Perhaps an older family member cannot easily go up and down stairs and will need a single-floor living arrangement with wide hallways to accommodate a walker or wheelchair.

It may also be helpful to create a list of things you do NOT want in a home. If you have young children, for example, an in-ground pool could be a deal breaker. Other potential deal breakers include a minimum number of bathrooms and bedrooms or a certain location. This deal breaker list is useful for guiding you and your real estate agent away from homes that simply won’t make the cut. Be careful, however, not to be too restrictive with your deal breakers or you may end up cutting out too many homes!

Start with Your Dream Home and Work Backwards

Cathy Carter Realtor recommends envisioning your dream home and then working backwards to create a checklist that includes all the necessities and still fits within your budget. To determine your budget, you will need to how much home you truly need and can afford. Mortgage lenders and banks will look at your debt to income ratio when determining how much you qualify to borrow. Current debt may include credit card debt, student loans, and car payments. Exercise caution when considering how much you want to borrow and think about whether you’ll need to use some of this money to make potential upgrades or repairs to your home. Once a lender has pre-approved you for a set amount, use your checklist of “needs” and “wants” to narrow in on the right home for you.

Choose “Value Adds” for Future Home Buyers: Smart Investments Will Boost Resale Value

When house hunting for your dream home, keep in mind you may not find the perfect house right away– or ever! Look for a home that meets most or all of your needs, and can be modified to meet your “want” check list. For example, you can’t change the location of your house, so if you don’t love the neighborhood or you’re worried that you won’t be close enough to your child’s school in the Chandler Unified School District, you’ll want to prioritize location in your search. You can, however, make cosmetic updates to your home, like swapping out appliances. In some cases, you may wish to borrow additional money with your mortgage to make even bigger modifications, like opening up the living room/kitchen space or upgrading a master bedroom/bath.

A home is a major investment, so focus on the value-adds for future homebuyers. Features that add value to a home include hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, dual-pane windows, and visually-pleasing, low maintenance landscaping. Intangibles like a beautiful view or a quiet location at the end of the cul-de-sac can help, too. If you’re home doesn’t come with these value adds, should you choose to invest extra in upgrades – like stainless steel appliances in the kitchen or a larger master bath – you’re still likely to recover much of this investment in the resell.

Finally, watch out for items that are too personal. A giant meditation platform in the backyard could be great for a new age couple on a spiritual quest, but not so pleasing to the vast majority of other buyers. Or maybe a wall in the kids’ playroom includes a giant mural: that might be great for your children, but far less appealing for an older couple.

Using Your Chandler AZ Homes Buying Check List to Find Your Dream Home

No home will ever be perfect. Taking the time to create separate “needs” and “wants” check lists is essential to guiding the home search. You’ll save valuable time by skipping homes in the wrong location or neighborhood, and be able to narrow your search to the best options with the right features for your family. Print out your checklist, take it with you to open houses, and be open to making list modification as your search progresses. As you look at more homes, you may realize you overlooked a key feature, or that proximity to the golf course or school isn’t as important as you initially thought.

While there are always some compromises involved in the final purchase, a good understanding of your deal breakers can help you avoid the wrong home or help you see how small modifications to a good home could make it great!

Cathy CarterLearn More About East Valley Arizona Real Estate!

With www.realestatechandler.com you'll be able to find your dream home in no time. If you have any inquiries about homes for sale, connect with Cathy Carter!

-Work With Cathy Carter For Unmatched Expertise On East Valley Arizona Area Buying & Selling!


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