How Long is Your List of Wants?

Who doesn’t want it all?

We’d all like to have it all, but is it likely? No.

I always ask clients to give me a list of their wants. They say things like this…4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (one of which needs to be attached to the master), an office space, 2750 sq ft, move in ready with white cabinets, stainless appliances, wide plank wood floors, gray walls, finished basement, backs to open space, new HVAC, new roof, certain school district, faces a certain direction, on an acre, with low taxes, and a low price too!

Whoa!

That sounds amazing to me too!! But is it realistic? Probably not!

Then I ask what is most important… if you could pick your top 3 things that you HAVE to have no matter what, what would they be?

Aside from the number of bedrooms and size of home, the number one thing almost always is location…whether it’s a certain distance from a job, location of kids school, or even being close to family and friends, this is usually at the top.

Price would be number 2. Most of us have a budget we have to stick to and it’s wise to stay within that budget. If you’re not finding what you want, instead of raising the purchase price, consider the option of a cheaper home and renovate. If it checks off the most important boxes, do some updating with the extra cash to meet the rest of your wants and needs.

Lastly, my pick would be the actual lot, how large it is and if it backs to open space. This might come at a premium, but to some it’s totally worth it.

Structure and location typically cannot be changed. They both play a big role when it comes to resale as well. Remember, you can always change the interior, update appliances, roof and HVAC.

If the house checks your top 3 boxes maybe it really is a contender. It’s like dating…no one is perfect. If you are always looking to check off every box on a long list, you’ll come up short every time. Be open to the possibilities and don’t set your expectations so high that you never find “the one.”