This home selection checklist is a tool to help you select a home that is right for you and your family. Before selecting a home and obtaining a mortgage, you need to know if you’ll be satisfied with the home you select for years to come. Home selection is an important step in your life and using a smart home selection checklist will help you think through all the things you need to know about a home before you buy. Take a checklist to each home you may select and write down all important home selection points on the checklist. Use the checklist for each potential home selection and you’ll have a “fact book” to review and analyze before your final home selection.
These important home selection factors are designed to help you create your own checklist.
You can then search for homes for sale and make a checklist of how each home compares to other homes you’ve selected to view. By the time you’re ready to get a mortgage, you’ll know from the selection checklist exactly the pros and cons of each home.
- How old is the structure? Older houses require more maintenance. Mortgages on older homes can be more difficult to obtain. Mortgage insurance and homeowner’s protection required by the mortgage company you select may be more expensive for the home. Please note on the selection checklist any items that need repair if you select that home.
- How many floors is the house? If you or a family member is getting older, or if you expect to live in your chosen home for years to come, stairs can be a significant problem. If you’re young and won’t be living in this home selection for years, this shouldn’t be a problem. Put this on your screening checklist if it is a concern for you and your family. Write down on your home checklist any selection items that may make family visits difficult. It would be a big inconvenience to say the least if your family can’t visit you because of stairs or hills.
- What material is the construction of the house? Homes built with concrete blocks and slabs present a lower fire threat, and this will reflect on your home insurance and maybe even your mortgage rates. Put your preferred building type on your housing selection checklist.
- Kitchen area: How big will a kitchen fit your lifestyle? Is the refrigerator old or brand new? Is the stove in good condition? Do you prefer cooking with a gas or electric stove? Do you want a garbage disposal? Determine exactly what is important in a kitchen and put those selections on your checklist. Then rate each property you might select as to how many of the checklist features are included. Of course, some selection checklist features are fairly easy to add; other features on the selection checklist cannot be changed.
- Living Rooms: Is a formal living room and den a top pick on your personal selection checklist? List each need on the housing selection checklist. Are there windows for plants, if you are a plant lover? Is the carpet in the prospective home selection in good condition? Think about these elements before signing a mortgage! Write down any likely expenses on your household checklist to review later. Use them in the budget of your mortgage
- Laundry Facilities: Does your home selection have laundry hookups that won’t require you to go up and down stairs to get laundry from the bedrooms to the washer? Are the connections in good condition? Note on the selection checklist. Put on your selection checklist any items you would select to replace when you move into the house. Write on the checklist the anticipated cost of replacing the items you select as unacceptable. Remember to budget so that you can pay the mortgage and remodel the house after the purchase.
- Bedrooms: Is your family formed or do you plan to have more children? Are there enough rooms to allow guests? Is the master bedroom in the house selection big enough? Obtaining a mortgage on a house that is too small can be a big mistake. Put exactly the size of home you need to select on your selection checklist.
- Closets: Will there be enough closet space for your family’s clothes? Put on your checklist how many cabinets you need.
- Restrooms: Will there be enough facilities in your home selection to allow everyone space for their personal items and plenty of time to use the facilities? Large families require several bathrooms; Be sure to put this on your home selection checklist! A selection that needs to add bathrooms plus mortgage payments can be expensive. Consider this in your mortgage budget.
- Roof: Look at the materials and condition. If the roof looks like it will need repair soon, consider this significant cost in the price of your mortgage. Roofing is very expensive. Research the cost of replacing a roof before making an offer. Factor these costs into your house checklist. Will your budget cover mortgage and roofing expenses?
- Water Heater: Look at the water heater and determine the condition. Look for places that may have leaked and any resulting damage. Also, is the water heater gas or electric in the home selection? More notes for your home checklist.
- Air Conditioning/Heater: Do these units in the home selection look old or new? Are they energy efficient? If you sign a mortgage on a home only to learn that all of your heating or HVAC requires replacement, it could cause you financial stress. Make a checklist of the estimated age of each appliance and piece of equipment in the potential home selection. Include spending checklist notes to replace old items. Put in your home mortgage screening notes that you may want a home inspection or warranty if the equipment appears older; Your checklist selection can prevent you from making a major mortgage mistake!
- Utility Cost: Don’t be afraid to ask homeowners to look at electric, gas, and water bills. If their selection of housing is well insulated and energy efficient, they will be happy to show it to you. Energy costs are important items on your home selection checklist.
- Neighborhood: Do you want to be in a gated community? Is there a children’s play area near the house? What about the schools? Is the neighborhood surrounding the selection of homes clean and attractive? Take a walk around the neighborhood; view other homes to learn about the area before making your home mortgage selection. Safe neighborhoods help not only make mortgage approval easier, but insurance as well. Add this item to your home pick list.
- Yard – If you have children or pets, you may want a large yard. If you are a gardener, it is important to have a nice garden. Again, make a checklist of everything that really matters in selecting your ideal home.
- Parking: Is there space for your vehicles and guests? There is a garage? garage? Is the driveway in good condition? Put what matters to you on your home selection checklist. Again, if these require repair, put these notes on the checklist so you can budget accordingly.
- Future expansion: If you want to expand the house in the future, is there space on the property without overcrowding? Consider the future before mortgaging a home that you may have to sell later as your family’s needs grow.
- Zoning and Restrictions: If you have a home business, is it allowed in the potential neighborhood? Selecting a home that precludes activities you value would be a serious mistake. Some communities have restrictions on working on your car or motorcycle, parking a boat, and other things you need to know about before making your final housing selection. Keep this item on your selection checklist if you work on your car or have a boat next door.
- Work: Is the house of your choice close to your place of work? If not, is it easy to access the highway for an easy commute from home? Will you ever hate the idea of going to work from this location? Write down on the selection checklist for your home the miles you will drive per day and the cost.
- Shopping: Supermarkets and convenience stores, gas stations and the like should be in close proximity to your home selection. Note on your selection checklist how far away the nearest shopping centers are from your house. Checklist where you would go from your house to buy.
- Sidewalks: This item on the home selection checklist is important for families with children. If there are no sidewalks, then children will not be able to easily walk to visit friends, ride their bikes, or do other activities that children love to do. Also, checklist if you like to take walks or hikes for exercise.
- Amusements, churches, activities – if you have activities you like to do, consider the drive time from the house selection. Will your kids’ Saturday movie visits turn into a long drive? Are there at least a few doctors near the potential home? The diversions your family enjoys should be reasonably easy to achieve.
- Neighborhood lighting: If you like to go out at night or if your children are going to play outside, is the area well lit? These selection criteria are not only important to your children, but burglars just hate a well-lit home and neighborhood. Make a list of some security issues you need before considering a mortgage.
- Traffic: If you have children, your new neighborhood should have little traffic. Also, traffic equals noise. Consider this important fact as well. A house on a highway has frustrated many.
The items on this home selection checklist are intended to help you think through the checklist of important home selection options before obtaining a home mortgage. Make yourself a personalized home selection checklist that includes the things that are important to YOU and YOUR FAMILY, then take it with you when you buy a home. With a checklist
in hand, you can make the selection that will make you happy for years and years!