Top Things to Look For When House Hunting

Wouldn’t you want to take your time to consider different options and factors before you buy a home? Whether you're a first time home buyer or not, there are several things that you should keep an eye out for before buying a home, to ensure you are getting a worthwhile investment. Here are the important things to look for when buying a home:-

Location

1.   Gather information about the area from people who live there. You can then have an idea about things such as crime rate, quality of living, prospective neighbours and so on.

2.   See if the home offers proximity to your place of work.

3.   Check if the infrastructure of the locale is good. It should have good roads, plus easy accessibility to important places of the city/town, hospitals, retail joints, restaurants and entertainment hubs.

4.   The home should offer pleasant views of the surrounding area.

5.   Look for quality educational institutes around the home, especially if you have children.

Specifications

1.   Check the finishes and materials used in the building. There should be quality workmanship in the finishing details like moldings, tile work, paint, kitchen hardware and others.

2.   If it is a resale property, check for possible leaks and cracks in the ceiling, corners and walls of the house.

3.   Check the quality of bathroom specifications such as plumbing fixtures, shower/tub, etc.

4.   Inspect the doors and windows to see if they are working properly.

Amenities

1.   Look for amenities that you want such as landscaped spaces, swimming pool, club house, gym, sports facilities, children’s play area, parking facilities, security, etc.

2.   Check for civic amenities such as water, electricity, etc. in the community and the area.

Design and Layout

1.   Decide how large a home you need – a 2, 3 or 4 BHK home. Think about how the space will be used and if it will fit your lifestyle now and later. Also, keep in mind that a large home will require you to spend more as you pay higher bills and taxes, though it can offer much more space than a small home.

2.   Check if sufficient storage space is available in the house - space to keep your iron, towels, vacuum cleaner, books, clothes, etc.

3.   Consider the direction in which the home faces. A home designed according to Vaastu-shastra is considered to bring in good luck and prosperity.

4.   See that the windows are large enough to allow sufficient natural light and wind into the house.

5.   The building should be earthquake resistant.

Most importantly, does it feel like you could make it your home?