Buying our dream homes is like fiddling with one of the deepest longings of our lives. Many believe that while you can put in your hard yards and eliminate any risk of a ‘bad buy’ with sheer diligence, a dream home just whispers in your ear “hey, I have arrived!” and there it is…right in front of you without your having moved a single muscle.
Important factors to consider for your dream home
I am from the more traditional school and I do not subscribe to miracles. For me, the best way to reach out to a dream home is by doing your bit of labour. Be picky, do not rest till you have got just what you have always desired.
It isn’t wrong to indulge in wishful thinking, stretch your tether, keep asking for more till your eyes rest on that one single thing of beauty you always wanted to inhabit. Let me help you with a few ways to get there.
Factor 1# Are you involving your whole family?
Ask each of the family members to make a bucket list of things they would want in the house. Next, prioritise amongst everything in the list and settle for 7-8 fancies (with at least 1 entry by each member).
While it’s well nigh impossible to accommodate every wish and fancy….there are no such homes, after all….it might be possible to get something which satisfies everyone. But not till you have drawn a bucket list!
Factor 2# Are you game for an aged home?
Look for the age of the property and try deciphering if it has aged beautifully. There are some really old properties which have heritage value; may be not the property themselves but certainly the neighbourhood they are located in.
Yes, you may have to spend quite a bit giving the windows of such homes a retrofit fitting or replacing the whole floor or insulating the walls according to modern standards but the pain will be worth it.
Factor 3# Where do you want to live?
I come across clients who want to morph into the everyday crowd of the CBD area and almost on the bipolar turf; I have clients who want a place to hide from the hum and bustle of life.
These are plain humans with diametrically opposite aspirations and if I were to build a home for them, I might have gone for very different ideas. So first of all figure out whether you want a condo, a townhouse, an apartment unit or a detached suburban house for yourself.
Factor 4# Are you thinking of space distribution?
You might fancy traditional distribution of space or you might be a lobbyist for open plan living. Of late, I have come across many clients who have asked me to morph their dining space with the kitchen. It is in departure from the age-old rule that said dining halls are a must.
Kudos to open plan living for bringing in a fresh perspective! So you need to know what your deep-rooted sensibility is. Your designer can improvise to the best of his abilities but only if you let him know what you want from your home.
Factor 5# Where will your maximum footfall be?
Talking of distribution of space, it is important to prefigure which zone of the house will receive maximum footfall. For instance, if you want your home to revolve around your living room, buy a place where the square acreage is distributed that way.
I know you can counter me by saying “my designer can always change the structure’ but such holistic changes may make you poorer by a fortune.
There are just so many things which bring you, step by step, closer to realizing your dream home plans. Don’t let the vision slip because of your lack of research.
What aspects do you consider important for your dream home?