Random house hunting may be interesting, but it's no way to locate the right home for your family. Besides wasting a lot of time and energy, you run the risk of buying what you really don't want, or missing the perfect home to fit your needs and desires. Your REALTOR® can help you qualify your needs and pre-select certain homes that fit these needs. He can take the work out of looking.

Your family's basic needs should be defined, as well as those features that could be considered 'desires' and those nice 'extras' beyond your basic needs, that will give your home more value while you live in it, and when you eventually sell it.

Keep those in mind at all times. Then you can make your final decision on the basis of which home has the most desirable features. 'Frills' and 'extras' are often so attractive that you tend to overlook the major needs and things you'll have to live with day in and day out. 

Two viewpoints. You may be looking at a home as a 'stepping stone' investment. If so, you should realize that although a certain home may not have every feature that you desire, you should be willing to make some compromises based on the economics involved. Compromises are often easy to make, and can satisfy your needs until you're ready to move on to another home as your family structure and financial position changes.  On the other hand, if you are looking at this home as a property that you intend to own for a long time, and you have the discretion of investing accordingly, then you will want to make sure that it suits your present needs and that it can be adapted to your future needs and desires. 

Choosing the neighborhood. Factors such as convenience to work, schools, shopping and public transportation will probably determine the general area for your house hunting. Beyond general location, it's important to know as much about the neighborhood as possible. Is there adequate police and fire protection, and is there a fee for those services? If the area is under planned development (as more and more communities are today), there will be protective covenants, conditions and restrictions. Your REALTOR® will be glad to provide copies of such covenants and to review them with you, so that you will have a clear understanding of what is involved in property ownership in that particular area. 

In making any investment in property, one should know what the past history of the property has been in that general region and what the projections are for the future. This is all part of your REALTOR'S® professional approach to the representation of homes to buyers. 

Get all the facts on the neighborhood before you fall in love with a particular house.

Outside the house. It is in your best interest to know how much property is included, the amount of frontage and depth of the property. How much maintenance does the exterior require? How about the landscaping? If you like trees be sure they are there. 

Condition of roof, furnace, air conditioner, appliances: Most sellers can give you their opinion, but you may want to have an expert inspect the house (even at your own expense). In some cases, if there are problems, adjustments can be arranged in the purchase price to compensate for these repairs. After all, the seller may not have had any problems with that item. 

The home's general appearance is important, and most home sellers will do some fixing up to make their house more attractive when they are ready to sell. This is always a good idea. REALTORS® will often recommend that the seller make minor repairs and improvements, too. It's nice to be able to move into a house where these little details have all been cared for and everything is fresh and clean. 

The floor plan. As you consider the floor plan of any house, picture your family living in the house, doing the kinds of things that you normally do and the kind of entertaining you like to do. 

Besides just considering the number of rooms, consider the size as well. Large rooms are not always an advantage; small rooms not necessarily undesirable.

In searching for the 'right' floor plan, some compromises are usually involved, since very few people can afford all of the things that they might like to have in a property. What must be weighed very carefully is just what compromises you are making and how important they really are to you. 

You may find that you will have to give up some features that you previously thought were important in order to have some other advantages of that particular home. This is entirely a personal matter. There's no way anyone can tell you what compromises or adjustments you should make.  Here are just a few of many important considerations that every homebuyer should know about. If you're buying a house that's 'For Sale By Owner' and without the services of a REALTOR®,  then be sure to check all the things a REALTOR® would check. We can furnish you with a more complete check list and counsel with you on your specific requirements.