If you understand what’s most important to you, your new home search will go much more smoothly. Answer as many of these questions as you possibly can. I will be happy to sit down with you and help sort through your answers and help with new questions that arise from your answers.

Area amenities

• Work – Will you commute or work locally?
• Where might you commute? New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, upstate?
• What are the local job opportunities?
• Would you like to walk or bike to work or take the train?
• Are sidewalks important?
• Do the commuter lines and highways matter to your work life?
• How much time will you commit to commuting?
• Do you need to be near an airport?

Recreation – What do you like to do?

• Active sports: hike, camp, boat, play golf, water-ski, swim, sail, fish, target shoot?
• Are parks important and what must they offer?
• Attend concerts and or films?
• Spend time in museums?
• Perform in theater or music?
• Paint, draw, sculpt?

Schools and childcare – How important are they?

• Do you have special-needs children?
• Do you prefer a large school district or small one?
• Do you prefer public, private or parochial education?
• Will you need a childcare facility?

Worship – How far are you willing to travel?

• Do you want to be able to walk to services?

Shopping and other services

• Do you want restaurants and gourmet food shops?
• Do you like farmer’s markets, organic produce or food co-ops?
• Is home delivery important?
• What kinds of local shopping do you expect?
• Is proximity to hospitals and medical facilities important?
• Are senior services important? What’s available?

Choosing the right setting for your home – village, suburb, city, country

• What setting most appeals to you?
• Do you want to see or hear your neighbors, live in a neighborhood rather than the country?
• Will you feel isolated if you don’t?
• Will you want to participate in community life or live quietly and privately?
• What are the opportunities that exist for community participation?
• How much value do you place on privacy?
• Would a street with some traffic bother you or would you miss not hearing passers-by?
• How might you feel about a narrow country road?
• Is a cul-de-sac important?

How much property do you need and for what purposes?

• Is a level yard necessary for children’s play sets, toss and bike riding?
• Will you garden?
• Is fencing important?
• Do you require sunlight, lawn, open spaces or trees and shade?
• How much property are you willing to maintain?
• Are you hoping for a babbling brook?
• How important is the view?

What are the non-negotiables in your new home?

• Do you have style and size preferences?
• Vintage, traditional or modern?
• Attached or unattached?
• Would you prefer new construction?

Which features are absolute musts and which are those just would be nice to have?

• Single level living?
• Master bedroom on the first floor?
• Number of bedrooms?
• Guest quarters?
• Number of baths?
• Closets and storage?
• Office or studio?
• Open floor plan?
• Eat-in kitchen?
• Formal dining room?
• Family room?
• Flooring materials?
• Central air conditioning?
• Finished basement?
• Garage? How many cars?
• Barn, asset or liability?

What condition must the home be in?

• Move-in ready, or are you prepared to do some work to make it your own?
• A real fixer-upper with plenty of upside potential?

How important is on-premises outdoor living?

• Porch, deck and or patio?
• Swimming pool?
• Tennis court?

How important are environmental concerns?

• Solar heat and/or water
• Orientation
• Fuel source
• Insulation
• Windows

If you can answer these questions and decide which items are non-negotiable, items you are able to relinquish and those which you’ll be willing to reconsider,  you will be well on your way to simplifying the home buying process!