Whenever we decide to buy a new house, the very first thing we feel is the giddy excitement of the childhood Christmas mornings that we still cherish. However, the sheer volume and stress of important decision that we need to make as we move further in the process can sometimes overwhelm us. Just spending some time looking through house listing can make you wonder how you will ever be able to settle on one place.

What sort of area would be suitable for my family? What features I should be looking for when house hunting? Should I be searching for certain amenities? Are we big lawn people or would a low maintenance patio be more suitable? Is a country house ideal, or does my family want to live in an urban area? Would I ever be able to choose the right house with so many choices?

If you are planning to move from your current house to a more suitable, family-friendly house, these are the questions you must be asking yourself right now. You need to understand that just as majority of people have a list of attributes that aren’t negotiable in a spouse, house hunter have a list of features they want in their future house.

You need to discover the feature that you love in a house. Make a list of things that are necessary for your dream house to have, and hunt down a house accordingly. Of course, all of these amenities and features might not ensure a match that can stand the test of time. Still, you need to keep trying.

Don’t forget to keep your list of features near your personal computer, along with a detailed record of areas that are on your non-acceptable and acceptable lists. Here are a few things you need to consider before choosing a place for your growing family:

1. Affordability

Affordability is sometimes the most important factor for most of the buyers in selecting the perfect house for their family. You should try your best to resist the undeniable temptation to go house hunting in the newly developed areas unless you know that you would be able to afford the living places there.

When considering the affordability of the perfect house for your growing family, you need to add up mortgage payments, mortgage insurance and all the taxes you need to pay. Don’t forget to add any water, sewer and garbage fees if the city you are moving to is not going to service your house.

Some of the factors that might be responsible for the future costs include:

• Repainting
• Roof repairing
• Siding the exterior
• Updating or repairing the heating system
• Updating or repairing the electrical system
• Changing the carpeting
• Redoing the floors
• Upgrading the kitchen appliances
• Updating the kitchen cabinetry
• Refinishing the basement
• Plumbing
• Updating or redoing the bathroom
• Redoing the interior
• Remodeling the house

2. Location

You should make a list of all the areas that are acceptable or unacceptable to you and your family prior to house hunting. Scrutinize every town, city or neighborhood you are interested in. Base your list of acceptable and unacceptable places not only on your personal knowledge, but also other characteristics and expert advice from professionals. Some of the factors to consider when finding the ideal house for your growing family include:

• Parks
• School system
• Proximity of health care centers
• Outdoor activities
• Crime statistics
• Size of the library
• The general quality of life

When finding a suitable house for you and your family, you should also consider commuting distance to school as well as work. Is the town or city within rational commuting distance for parents who work outside their home? This is the question you need to ask yourself before making the final decision.

3. Move-in-ability

Is your perfect house supposed to be perfectly built where you can move right away without repairing any damage or doing any work?  You don’t need to let the old carpet or paint color to keep you from moving in a house. You can always repair things, but if you do not want all that hassle, it is your choice. If it important for you to move into a house without any work, you should look for newly-built house. However, be prepared for higher prices.

If, conversely, old carpeting and bad paint job doesn’t matter to you, you can move to your new house right away and change the entire appearance within a few days, provided that you can afford the money and time to work on that place. In such cases, move-in-ability of a house is not one of the top priorities of a family in finding the right home.

4. Home Features

Every family has different requirements. You need to think how important the following features are in order to determine which home is right for your family:

• Number of bedrooms
• Two-story or single story
• Number of bathrooms
• Full basement
• Two-car or single car garage
•  walk-up attic
• Type of heating system
• Acreage
• Attached or detached house

Your priority list might alter slightly according to your needs and become rearranged as you move further in the search for a house. It is absolutely fine to alter your priorities about the neighborhood characteristic and the type of the house. All you need to do is remember then every time you view your potential future home.

It is possible that you find a perfect-looking house online. It is not necessary that ever house will meet every requirement you have. By using your house buying checklist, you will be able to find the one that meets some of your top needs, if not all. These checklists will make it incredibly easy for you to weed through thousands of listing that come up every time your search for a house. Just consider the necessary features you can compromise on, and opt for a house that meets most of your requirements.

William Russell is an expert freelance writer who has deep interest in home improvement, home design, real estate and home buying. He also writes for businesses like quokkadoors.com.au among many others. (0)