Decision Makers

I had these clients a short time ago, and they just couldn't decide which house they wanted. We looked at so many homes. They all started to look a like. I took them out for coffee, and said, "It looks like you two are having some trouble deciding which home you want." "Yeah, a little bit," the man said. His name was Larry. "It's just, I don't think we know how to select a home," Larry's wife Debbie added."I understand," I replied. "We read somewhere thatyou should feel good about the home you're looking at. You should mentally move into the home, and see your furniture there. You shouldn't hesitate, when you enter the bathrooms, but I'm having a hard time feeling all of this," said Debbie."That's because you're not buying a pair of pants.""You're purchasing something that will cost around $300,000, according to the budget you gave me, so lets treat it like a big purchase," I replied. "Let me give you some questions to ask yourself," I continued."First, picture yourself living in the home from 5 to 7 years, because that's the average time someone lives in their home. Look at the home for adaptability. Is the home going to be able to accommodate your life changes?" I asked rhetorically."Will you need more bedrooms and bathrooms in the future? Do you want an open floor plan? Is thattype of floor plan going to cause problems in the future, when your kids are watching TV, and you'retrying to have a conversation in the kitchen? If that's going to be the case, will you need a more compartmental floor plan instead?" I added."That's something to think about," replied Debbie."Yeah, think about things, such as, whether the owner used the fireplace? Does the fireplace work, or is the flue blocked? Do all the bedrooms have locks on the doors? Do you need locks on the doors? If so, it could be unwanted additional costs," I said."Climb the attic stairs. If you're carrying something, will it be a problem? Flush all the toilets. Look at the ceiling for water damage. Turn on all the lights at once," I added."Make sure all of the ceiling fans work. Turn the sinks and showers on, at the same time, to see howmuch water pressure you have. Just make sure you turn them all off when you leave," I said."Look at the outside landscapes and hardscapes, such as the patios, rock walls, and walkways. Do they need any repair? Do you need to remove trees? Do you need to add drainage pipes around the foundation and yard? If so, will you do the work, or do you need an estimate for the work?" I asked again, rhetorically."Think about counter space. How much do you need? Look at the garage. Will your King Ranch pickup fit?" I asked. "I wish," replied Larry. "Alwayshire a good inspector. Make sure they look at the roof, insulation, over all structure, and the foundation," I said."Look for noise pollution, such as busy streets, rail road crossings, fire and police departments. Are you going to be next to a restaurant, now or in the future? How about being too close to an apartment building, with people moving in and out all times of the day or night. Look for intersections. Will it be hard to cross them during rush hour? Oh yeah, and ask for a years worth of utility bills," I added."Do you want a 'lock-and-leave' type of home, such as a condo, or town home, or do you want a yard, such as a single family home that will require some maintenance? Consider the type of neighborhood. Is it a walkable neighborhood, with shops and restaurants within walking distance? Are the schools, churches, and community centers that you need, near you?" I asked. "Good questions," replied Larry."Always keep your budget in the back of your mind, and your front-end and back-end budget calculations in front of you. Your lender will be looking at them as well. Think about if it will be easy to sell this type of home in the future? Think about your furniture and decorations, now and in the future, such as bigger beds, cribs, etc," I said."Is there room enough on the wall for your wide screen TV to be mounted?" I asked, rhetorically."Yeah, we're done with the cribs, but bigger beds are defiantly in the future," replied Debbie, as she smiled and looked at Larry. "What's that honey, sorry, I was thinking about the wide screen TV," replied Larry, ignoring Debbie's disapproving sideways glance."Think about the pros and cons. Do you need a split-level or a single level home? What type of home might you need in a few years? Which type of home will sell well in a few years?" I added."Do you like big windows that add a lot of light to the home? Remember, they could add up to additional cooling costs in the summer, or the added cost of tinting or blinds? Speaking of windows, do the windows need to be replaced?" I asked."Do you need to added phone jacks and cable jacks? If so, they can add up to additional cost. Think about the flow of the house. How is it going to feel when you do your laundry, dishes, and clean the rooms?" I asked. "We're back to feeling," said Debbie. "Yes, but we're being more specific that's the difference," I replied."Will the home require remodeling? If so, can you close off one room at a time, and survive? What will the cost of this remodeling be? Get some estimates. Will the remodel be worth it, increasing the value of the home?" again I asked rhetorically."I mean will the cost of the home, plus the remodel,put the value of the home significantly above otherhomes in the neighborhood?" I asked. "How would we know?" asked Larry. "By looking at really good comps, from a REALTOR© that knows the neighborhood's housing market. They will be able to make an educated recommendation about where the neighborhood's market is going in the future," I answered."Speaking of remodeling, really think before you decide to renovate a kitchen. I'm not taking about just replacing counter tops and sinks. I'm referringto replacing flooring, cabinets, counter tops, and appliances," I said."You will have to close off the kitchen for a short time. If you can't hire someone to do the work, it could take a lot longer than you think. Are you OK eating out for every meal until the work is done?" I asked."After all is said and done, sleep on it before you make a decision. That is if you're OK with the risk of being out bided. If you have trouble sleeping, get up and write down why you are having trouble sleeping.Then go back to bed and sleep. Everything will probably look clearer for you in the morning," I said.Please visithttp://www.realestatemicroscope.comArticle Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shaun_X_Smith/1304219