You may have had your dream property in mind for as long as you can remember, or maybe you’re waiting for inspiration to strike on what your dream property could be. If you’re ready to find your dream forever home and settle for the long haul, it’s important to get it right.
The following guide can help to make the search a lot easier.
Property vs Location: Which is More Important?
Your dream home may not necessarily be the perfect property, but more a property in the ideal location. In finding your dream home, it’s a good idea to decide what the dream is: is it the perfect property whilst being flexible on location? Or is there an ideal location you have in mind, where you would be open to compromising on the property to live in the right area?
Knowing this will make a difference to your property search, as it may be that you can’t have the perfect property in the perfect location if your budget is restricted.
Make a List of Dream Attributes
If you’re not willing to compromise anything on your dream property, you need to be firm with the ideal attributes. Making a list means you can get a clearer picture in your mind and apply filters to your search to cancel out anything that doesn’t have the features you want.
Think about:
- The minimum bedroom number you want/need
- Whether a garden/outside space is non-negotiable
- The type of property (new home, older house, detached, flat or townhouse, for example)
- Is there anything you absolutely must have? For example, a huge kitchen, or more than one bathroom?
It may also be a good idea to make a separate list (or prioritise) where you pinpoint areas you may be okay compromising over.
Use Property Search
Property searches online make it much easier to find your dream home. You can easily enter your budget and requirements and use any filters necessary to narrow your list of potential properties. Sites like Linden Homes allow easy property search for new builds, along with extra information such as help to buy schemes.
Do Thorough Research into the Area
A dream home takes into account everything around it, too. That means that even if you find the perfect property in seemingly the right location, a lot could change.
You might want to think about investigating the area, such as speaking to locals, or finding out what is planned for the neighbourhood’s future. This can help to get objective information about your property purchase.
If there is something in the community that will be built in future years near to your property, for example, this may cause a disruption, or ruin the perfect view you thought you’d found. Research is always key!
Think About the Future
As a final consideration, your dream property should take the future into account. Forever homes require you to think about exactly that: forever. Which means a dream home needs to tick all the boxes for future you, too. Ensure that properties you are considering have room for you to grow, and take care of future needs, like more bedrooms or potential for renovations or extensions.
