Overall, look at the function of the home. Will it realistically fit your family now and is there room to grow? Don't settle on the space. Try to leave your emotions at the door. I have seen so many people buy a house because they were impatient. They thought they were in such a big hurry. I heard them say things like, "Well, the living room isn't ideal but we will make it work." "The bathroom is a little small but that's not a big deal, we don't spend that much time in the bathroom." "The kitchen isn't what I was hoping for but the view is great. We can always remodel."
Famous last words, We can remodel. The truth is, remodeling is expensive, time consuming and stressful! If you think things through before signing the paperwork you can avoid alot of frustration and disappointment down the road.
Check out the kitchen. Does the cabinet layout make sense? Is it easy to get around in and have plenty of storage and counter space? Are the doors and drawers in good working condition? Can more than one person work in the space? Where is the kitchen located in relation to the front door or family room. No one wants to come to the door and peer right in to whatever is going on in your kitchen. Kitchens are the heartbeat of a home, it's where we spend all our time. Keeping the worksurfaces out of direct view from visitors at the front door is an appealing feature and will make your life less stressful.
Another thing to consider are the materials used in the kitchen ie. backsplash, counter tops and the cabinets themselves. Will they be easily maintained? Where are you going to put that big stew pot? Often people will excuse a few flaws in a home just because they are already emotionally invested but that's not a good enough reason. As soon as the house is yours and the honeymoon with it is over, you will be cussing the fact there isn't a place for all your things.
Bathrooms are another huge selling point, especially the Master Bedroom Suite. Most people look for extravagant bathrooms. Bigger is better, or so they say. Size has nothing to do with the function of a space. I've seen some pretty big bathrooms with lousy space planning. That translates into a pretty useless piece of real estate you just wasted. Look for features like compartmentalized toilet rooms and showers. This way, more than one task can be taking place at a time. I had some clients who bought a home and the bathroom vanity was in the master bedroom, about 5' from the bed! The toilet and bathtub were in a room behind the vanity. They are now trying to figure out how to change that without spending a penny because when the husband gets up early for work, the lights and noise wake the wife up. That's just poor planning.
Speaking of design...good design doesn't have to cost a lot of money. You can still live in an affordable home that has good space planning, you might just have to look a little longer. It's not a bad idea to take a designer along with you to look at homes. They can be your unbiased eyes, without emotional ties and point out design flaws you may have overlooked.
We will look a little closer at some ideas and design features you should look for in specific rooms of the house.
