Consider what you need before you buy your new home

Written by Julie Punter, Homes by Avi

There are many things to think about when purchasing a new or used home. I like to start with how your family functions as a whole – consider the things that you do within the home. Asking yourself some of these questions will help to determine what type of home you require and what your needs are in each of the spaces. 

Some good questions to ask are:

• Do you work from home? 
• What are your storage needs? 
• What are your hobbies? 
• Do you need an extra room for guests or an aging parent? 
• What area of the city do you prefer? 
• What amenities do you want in a community? 
• What is your budget and what kinds of things do you like to do at home? 

Some of these questions will help you narrow down the spaces you need, and hopefully that will help you to find what you are looking for in a floor plan.

Once you have an overall scope of what you are looking for, then you can do the same process in each space of the home to work towards achieving your desired overall feel. Breaking down your needs in each space is an easy way to compartmentalize and make the process less overwhelming. 

Take, for instance, the kitchen. You can break things down by asking:

• What are your storage needs? 
• How do you function in the space (prep space, multiple cooks, dining areas)?
• What things do you like to cook? 
• Do you entertain? 
• Do you want a spice kitchen or need appropriate appliances for a kosher kitchen? 
• Do you want a pantry in the kitchen or off the kitchen?
• Do you want a gas or electric stove, side-by-side fridge or bottom pull-out freezer? 

These are just some of the questions you can ask yourself ahead of time to make the process easier when you are overwhelmed by decisions.

Once you have considered the needs and function in each of your spaces, then you can start to think about the style and decor of the home - this is the fun part! Let’s continue with the kitchen as an example on how to break down this portion. Ask yourself, what is my style? 

• Modern
• Traditional
• Farmhouse
• Heritage
• Mid-century 
• Art deco 

These are just some of the styles that you can work towards in your space. 

If any of these parts feel overwhelming, you can also hire an interior designer to help you realize your creative vision. Designers can be hired for an hour or as long as you need throughout the process, and they can be a very good resource to help point you in the right direction. 

Once you have decided on what your style is, then you can start to think about how to achieve that style with things like the color of your cabinets, profile of the cabinets, style of plumbing, color of finish for your plumbing and lighting, and the type of tile and countertops you desire. 

There are many more details to consider, however this gives you a snapshot of some of the things to start thinking about to make sure your home is perfect for you! 

Julie is the Manager of Show Home Selections and Presentation at Homes by Avi.

See our related articles:

• Making the (right) move
• Buying a new home
• Planning for what you need and want