Your Home Wish List
Know What Matters Before You Start Looking
It's easy to fall in love with a home once you start touring properties. That's why one of the best things you can do before beginning your search is decide what really matters to you.
Think about your ideal home and divide your preferences into three categories:
Must Have — Features you aren't willing to compromise on.
Would Like — Important features, but not necessarily deal breakers.
Bonus — Features you'd enjoy but could comfortably live without.
This gives us a much clearer understanding of what we're looking for—and helps distinguish a great home for you from simply a great-looking home.
The Home
Consider the basic characteristics that will affect how you live in the property:
- Age: Historic character, newer construction, or no preference?
- Style: Ranch, traditional, craftsman, contemporary, or something else?
- Bedrooms: How many do you need now? Might that change?
- Bathrooms: How many? Is an updated primary bath important?
- Living Areas: Traditional rooms or an open-concept layout?
- Stories: One level, two stories, or either?
- Square Footage: How much space will you realistically use?
- Kitchen: Size, layout, storage, and how it connects to living areas.
- Storage: Closets, attic, basement, shed, or additional garage space.
- Parking: Garage or carport? How many vehicles?
- Outdoor Space: Large yard, wooded lot, low-maintenance property, or something in between?
Features & Amenities
Now think about the features that could make a house particularly well suited to your lifestyle:
- Home office
- Exercise or recreation room
- Workshop or studio
- In-law or guest suite
- Fireplace
- Pool or hot tub
- Patio, deck, or porch
- Laundry room
- Sidewalks
- Fenced yard
- Security or smart-home features
- Irrigation system
- Finished basement
Think About How You Actually Live
A wish list shouldn't just describe a house. It should describe how you want to live in it.
If you work from home, an office may be more important than a formal dining room. If you entertain frequently, the relationship between the kitchen and living areas may matter more than total square footage. If you're planning to stay for many years, stairs, maintenance, and future accessibility may deserve consideration today.
Sometimes the search itself changes your priorities. That's perfectly normal. Seeing different homes often helps buyers discover which features matter more—or less—than they originally thought.
Must Have vs. Nice to Have
No home has to be perfect to be the right home.
A well-defined wish list gives us a starting point, but it shouldn't prevent us from recognizing an excellent opportunity simply because a property doesn't check every box.
Our job is to help you weigh the compromises, recognize the possibilities, and keep the things that matter most at the center of the decision.
Start with what you need. Add what you'd love. Then let's find the home that brings the two together.
