Buying a home is a massive life-changing commitment. It's the only big finance purchase you will make that you do not get to try before you buy. Which has always seemed strange to me. We all test drive cars but not hundreds of thousands of pounds homes. Buying a home is scary and a big commitment so you want to get it right. There are so many things to take into account. Today we are going to talk about how to future-proof your forever home.
So you are looking for your forever home and are a bit overwhelmed with what to think about. Don't worry I have got you covered on where you need to be putting time and thought into future-proof that forever home of your dreams.
The area you live
Firstly you need to think about the area you live in. Is this the area you want to be in forever? Right now you are in your prime. That 20-minute drive is nothing to worry about. but will this work if you decided to have more children or what about retirement? Will it still work if you need to get in the car to do simple things like go to the shop for milk?
Is it really practical to live so far out of a village or town? Do you want to have the freedom to walk a short distance to say your nearest doctor or dentist? A lot of people dream of rural life until they start to age and realise that having amenities on their doorstep is actually a necessity rather than an option.
Yes, there are of course ways around these problems like taxis and buses but it needs to be taken into consideration when making this massive life commitment.
The property
The best thing to think about is the property itself. Is the actual home you have chosen your forever home. Does it have everything you want? Or does it have room to make the amendment you really want in a home? Is there room for development? room to have your dream interior? Can you update it to modern requirements and stylings? It is easy to swap out things like old wooden flooring for more modern and better-quality Parquet Flooring but can you update the actual layout when it becomes unusable.
When you are buying a home that you want to be your forever space you need really think about what you want. Does it have enough bedrooms? Living spaces? An office? or room for a gym.
Is there enough garden space? Could you use the garden to extend the property or add buildings?
Equally is it too big? Do you really want to be in your 70/80s cleaning 4 bedrooms that don't get used? You might think this is wonderful right now but will you think that when you have a massive heating bill for a house for one or two people and the cleaning is piling up and your body is not as fit as it once was.
You really need to think about your forever home and what is actually practical and functional. Not just how wonderful it is now.
Age-proofing
Can your home be age proofed? You love your beautiful open-plan multi-level house with the staircase you always dreamed of But what will you do when your knees are not as young as they used to be? Or one of you are in a wheelchair? What are the options?
Really you have two options
1. This house is not your forever home. bad times. Time to start the endless search for a more appropriate property.
Or
2. You will need to invest in a Disability Lift. These are actually pretty affordable and easy to have installed and will make sure you can live in your forever home as long as possible. It is a much more affordable option than having to move house again.
The investment
There is no other way around it, this is the biggest investment you will ever make. Is it a good one? Do you know what is going on in your area? Right now you might have an unspoilt view but does the land in front of you have development potential. Many people have been caught up when buying a beautiful property only to have a housing estate built in front of them completely removing the view they loved and bringing the house price down.
Yes, thinking of the value of your home in 30 years is a tricky thing to navigate but it is always worth taking into consideration. Will your home retain or increase in value or worse loss your money?
These are all very important factors in future-proofing your home and your life. So always make careful choices and really put thought into forever home purchases. Remember yes your heart needs to love the property but your head needs to do the calculations to whether this really is your forever home.
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