Our home is the most important place in our lives. It provides us with shelter, it makes us feel safe and secure and it is the perfect representation of our lifestyles, routines and personalities. Or at least it should be. We spend a huge chunk of our lives in this property and it is our most private and personal space, therefore, if it fails to truly reflect our preferences or its look does not fill us with love and tranquility as soon as we step in, there is a lot of room for improvement. Regardless of whether you do not find your current home satisfactory or you are simply stepping into a new chapter of life and the time has come to level up, it’s important to choose or design your next abode with the utmost care. You will only be doing this once in the foreseeable future, so here are all the factors you should consider when looking for the home style for you.
Jot down what your perfect home needs to have
Finding or creating a home that is perfect for you can be very difficult, especially if it’s not entirely clear what exactly you want. Therefore, it would be a great idea to write a list of all the things that your dream home is equipped with. Have you always wanted just one more bathroom in your old home? Or do you dream of a spacious kitchen with a huge kitchen island? Maybe you want a big backyard for your pets to play in, or you love plants and are dreaming of having a sunroom. Don’t be shy when it comes to this part; you can always reorganize and prioritize this list later. If you are looking for a new place for your family, get them involved and have them write their own lists, too. It will not be easy to merge all these lists into a single one, but this way, everyone will be happy with the result and the home will reflect everyone’s biggest wishes.
Photo by Sustainable Nine Design + Build
Your aesthetic preferences
Besides the amenities that you wish to see in your future home, you probably also have aesthetic preferences. It might be difficult to put your finger on this, but try to compare the photos you’ve saved of various houses and see what they have in common. Maybe they are all built in the same architectural style. Do you prefer a rustic style with a lot of nature surrounding it or something modern and minimalistic? Whether you are planning to look for your perfect home or you will have professional house builders create it from scratch, looking at photos or even model homes can help a lot in determining what style you prefer.
Photo by Resolution: 4 Architecture
Consider what location fits you
An extremely important factor when it comes to finding the home that perfectly fits you is the location. And the definition of the perfect location depends entirely on your lifestyle. If you are an outgoing person, a buzzing location near downtown is probably what will make you happy. However, if you dream of relaxed family life with maximum space and privacy, a suburban location is obviously a much better choice. But there is a lot more to consider here. Starting from the location of your workplace and the educational institutions of the neighborhood all the way to amenities such as sports centers nearby, the area your home will be in will greatly determine how you will live your lives in the future. Therefore, you have to make sure that a neighborhood, its amenities and community are to your liking before you purchase a lot or start looking for a property there.
Photo by Christian Rice Architects, Inc.
Consider the size
The next thing you should determine is what lot size would be ideal for the size of your family. While many things can be modified about a home, the lot size is one of the things that cannot be, so this is a crucial factor to get right. When it comes to the property itself, while a lot of people believe that the bigger a house is, the better, this is not always the case. Make sure you and all your family members are comfortable but don’t go overboard. Maintenance costs and bills will be that much higher in the future.
Photo by Cascade West Development
The perfect layout
While it’s important how a home looks from the outside, what’s even more important is what’s on the inside. When it comes to the layout, again, this should reflect your lifestyle. Are you a social family that loves spending afternoons together, watching movies and playing board games? Or is cooking together a family tradition for you? Then an open plan layout, where everyone can spend time together is probably ideal for you. Or do you plan on working from home and perhaps starting your own business at some point? Then make sure you calculate this into the plan so that you don’t end up working at your dining table.
Photo by True North Builders, Inc.
Think about the future
While planning your dream home, you should not only think about the “now” but keep the future in mind, too. Think about how your life is going to change in the decades to come, whether your family might expand or whether your children might move out once they grow up and what you can do with the extra space in that case. Leaving a bit of room for change is always a good idea. You might want to upgrade your basement at one point, for instance, or build an extension.
When you’ve got all of this…
If you’ve thought about all the previously mentioned factors, by now, you should have a pretty clear picture of what your personal home style looks like. A combination of all of these factors, from the location and the look of the property through its size and layout all the way to the amenities that you dream of having, make up your own unique dream home which will be easier to build or spot now that you know exactly what you are looking for. However, be prepared to have your priorities sorted out and make compromises when necessary. After all, you can always modify your new home little by little to achieve a truly personal space.
Photo by K&D Landscape Management
Author Bio:
Maggie Holmes is a passionate blogger keen on writing about beauty, fashion, home improvement and business. Her exclusive hobby is to surf the net to find amazing articles that can inspire her with some fresh ideas for article writing. She loathes being a common person who wastes her time.
You can follow her on Twitter @MaggieH04666334