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Try On Your New Home Before Buying
Its commonplace to try on suits, dresses, trousers or shoes
before buying them. People instinctively know they need to try
on clothes to be sure they fit, feel comfortable and are
attractive on them. What about a home? Its probably the most
expensive purchase youll ever make. Isnt it even more
important to try on a home before you purchase it?
What on earth do I mean? Well, its usual to look for a home in
places that are convenient to work and schools. Most folks take
the daily commute into consideration when shopping for a home.
Why not take the daily, weekly, and even monthly activities of
family members consciously into account, too?
Case Study
I once helped a young, single woman named Wendy to find and buy
her first home. She worked for Geico, was rising very nicely in
the company and wanted a home of her own and the tax break home
ownership affords. She asked my advice about choosing, and we
had a conversation in which I mentioned many of the sorts of
things Ive said here. We made a list of what mattered to her.
Then we went shopping. We looked at a lot of houses. After we
came out of each one, we had a talk about how it measured up to
Wendys list.
One of the houses we looked at belonged to the young woman who
later became my daughter-in-law. It was brick, all on one level,
had a fireplace in the living room, and had patio doors from the
master bedroom and dining rooms to an enormous deck with a hot
tub. It was beautifully decorated in a sort of pared down
Victorian style. There was a brass bed, some wicker, lots of
healthy house plants, and a few Victorian pieces of furniture
that were actually old, family pieces. Silver framed family
photos were clustered on top of the piano.
After we emerged from the house, Wendy started down the two
steps to the car and then froze in place. She had the oddest
expression on her face. I asked what was wrong, and she began to
look sheepish and confessed, That house is so pretty and so
nicely decorated, I just enjoyed looking at it and didnt give
any thought to how Id live in it. I just wanted it.
We went back inside. Wendy still admired what had been done with
the house, but decided it wasnt right for her.
Knowing whats important to you can save costly mistakes. The
process of trying on a house helps you evaluate whats
important. I think youll find its worth the effort.
About the author:
Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing
homes for sale by owner, "FSBO", properties. Are you thinking,
"Should I sell my home?" Visit
http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your home
for free for one month.
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