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We're thinking of moving when DD is done with high school (senior now). I've been doing some preliminary looking - we'll stay in the same area-ish, but getting out of this townhome to a detached home.
Our list, based on our current needs:
1 - 3 bedroom & office or 4 bedroom so one can be used as an office. Hubby is working from home more and more, and he's in the process of starting his own business, which he hopes in 5 years will be his main source of income. A large office space is top priority right now.
2 - Main floor master bedroom, large enough for our king bed with plenty of room to spare.
3 - Pool, caged. This is Florida. Enough said.
4 - Decent size garage. OMG our townhouse has a dinky garage and I hate it. We were spoiled in our last home which had a huge garage with plenty of space for both the cars and for storage.
5 - NO CARPET. I hate it, didn't have it in our last house, don't have it in this one, won't ever have it. If I see lots of carpeting in a listing, in my head I drop the listing price by 15k knowing I will have to rip all of it out and replace it with wood or tile.
6 - Updated kitchen & baths. If it's an older home I expect updates. Again, I adjust the price by how much updating the house needs. Too many listings here are at market price without the updates.
7 - Location. Yeah, everyone says that's most important, but this area is weird. So many older homes are being torn down and brand new ones put in their place that the idea of a 'neighborhood' doesn't always happen. Mind you, there are 'planned' neighborhoods here, so that's different, which leads me to...
8 - No or very low HOA. A huge mistake we made buying this townhome - it's super HOA. Our previous board president was the type to walk the property every day and make a list of violations. No. More. HOA.
9 - Out of the flood zone. Mostly just to save on insurance costs.
10 - 1/2 bath. I have this weird aversion to guests using main baths. A 1/2 bath is just a must for me.
1. Walkable location close to public transport and grocery store and a park
2. Garage
3. W/D hook-ups
4. Separate eat-in kitchen NOT open to living area
5. Bright sunny kitchen, preferably with window over sink and line plumbed for refrigerator
6. Nice-sized living room with windows facing sun
7. 2 and a half baths
8. Hardwood or laminate floors - prefer no carpet
9. Quality school district
10.Central A/C
1. location - walkable to a small town
2. location - ocean & mountain views
3. location - flat lot, or at least a flat parking space next to the house
4. lots of windows to look at the views
5. easy access to the outside and garden
6. good sized kitchen with close access to the driveway for bringing in groceries
7. dining area overlooking ocean
8. semi-open floor plan with lots of closets
9. large lanai overlooking the ocean and hot tub on lanai
10. lots of ventilation to keep the house comfortable
We've got 1 & 2, now we're building so we should be able to manage the rest although it's still in the design stage at the moment.
1. Good quiet neighborhood
2. Good view from back yard or patio (e.g., would sacrifice single level home for second floor balcony with mountain view)
3. Small Single Family Home or Townhouse less than 2000 SF
4. Garage
5. Small yard or outside space
6. Hardwood and tile floors
7. Two bathrooms and 2-3 bedrooms
8. Large bathtub
9. Only one living area and one dining area (e.g., don't want lots of small redundant rooms)
10. Adequate sized kitchen with good layout (e.g., can update if necessary)
1. Pool
2. Character, no cookie cutter
3. Large lot
4. Mature trees/shaded lot
5. Location near amenities
6. 3500+ sq ft with at least four bedrooms and three bathrooms
7. Good, established, stable neighborhood
8. Tub
1. Views
2. Space for outdoor living
3. Minimal exterior maintenance needed
4. Proximity to urban area with major airport
5. Garage
6. 2+ bathrooms with at least one bathtub, at least one ensuite to Master
7. Clean, low crime neighborhood
8. Structurally sound
I have owned many properties and won't buy in any location that doesn't meet my needs so I don't even need to put Location on the list. Cosmetic things are easily changed out if a property doesn't have the flooring, cabinetry, surfaces and fixtures I want...so not on my list either. I have preferences for gas cooking and single story but I also know that preferences are not the same as must haves. So, really only 8 must haves.
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