Many have spent time dreaming about what they would love to have in a home someday, but have you ever stopped to actually write down or verbalize what you want?
Whether you are thinking about starting the search for your dream home, want to build your dream home, or just want a clearer idea of the things that make up your dream home, we’ve got it covered.
When it comes to articulating the vision of your dream home to the people who will either help you find it or build it for you, you’ll need to either have an idea or have written down these six things.
Home Style
Everyone gravitates towards a certain type of home style, whether it’s craftsman, modern, art-deco, etc. and knowing which type you prefer is one step in articulating your dream home.
If you don’t already have a place where you save your favorite photos of home styles, then looking through Pinterest or home/architecture magazines is a great place to start. Find and save images you love of:
- Exterior home designs (front and back)
- Home layout designs
- Bedroom features/layouts
- Kitchen designs (layout/cabinet colors/counter designs, etc.)
- Bathroom designs
- Floors you love (carpet, wood, tiles)
- Laundry room designs
- Doors (front door, sliding doors, etc.)
Another way to get a feel of what type of styles bring you a sense of happiness is to visit open houses and save the flyers they hand out. Take photos of the aspects you want in your own home someday. The more photos you have saved, the better idea your agent or building Expert will have when it comes to fulfilling the vision of your dream home.
Budget
Before you dive too deep into where you want to live and your must-haves, you need to set a budget. Dreaming up your dream home is exciting, but it’ll be an ever-growing dream until you place a budget on it.
Sit down and take a look at your finances. What’s a reasonable amount to be paying for your mortgage? Are you willing to purchase a fixer-upper and then have renovations made? If so, what price range should you be looking at for your fixer-upper home and what amount do you allocate to renovations? Knowing what you can afford will also have an impact on the size and location if you are building your dream home from the ground up.
Tip: Whether you are purchasing your dream home or building it from start to finish, it’s always a good idea to have a 5 to 15 thousand dollar cushion on top of your budget. You never know if any issues or complications will come up in the process, so planning for it will make it easier to swallow if something goes wrong.
Location
What type of neighborhood do you want to live in? Do you want to have really close neighbors, or do you want space? Do you want a driveway, or is parking on the street okay?
All these questions are important to articulating the vision of your dream home. Think about the location and the surrounding area you are hoping to have. Some people love having a great location near a downtown or a city center, but that means virtually no lawns or neighbors within spitting distance. Others want large lots with ample front and backyards where their closest neighbor isn’t even in throwing distance.
Don’t just think about what you want now, think about what your life will be like in the next 5, 10, or 15 years. Will you still want to live in that location, or will it change? Can you adapt later on or is it best to choose another location that fits your current lifestyle and your future lifestyle?
Wants vs. Must-Haves
The next step in articulating the vision of your dream home is determining what your preferences and non-negotiables are.
Preferences are the aspects you’d absolutely love to have within your dream home, but you can live without. Non-negotiables are your must-haves within your home -the aspects that if not included you don’t even want to waste time looking at a home. Both lists can include things like number of bedrooms, size of the lot, area or location of the home, type of floors, open or closed concept layouts, specific design features, etc.
Be as specific as possible when listing out your preferences and non-negotiables, but also be reasonable with your non-negotiables since the longer the list is, the harder it will be to find your dream home (unless you build).
Essentials List
Once you’ve created your wants and must-haves list, you can now add specific features, amenities, or items you want within each room.
The list can include things like surround sound in your living room, that way you know to look at homes that already have wiring in place or so you can make sure the Experts who are designing and building your home know to add it into the plans. Maybe you desire built-in bookshelves in your office or library space. Maybe you’ve always wanted an island in the middle of your kitchen.
For some people, this list is long and for others it’s short. Just take a little time and think about each specific room and the functions it’ll serve.
Buy or Build?
This is the last step in articulating the vision of your dream home. Take a look at all the things you've listed out. Are the things you listed common enough that you'd be able to find it in a home that's on the market? Or, are your things more customized to your personality making a brand new build the better choice? Making this decision will determine your next steps in the process of one day living in your dream home.
Custom Home Builders & Standard Model Options for Chico & Paradise, CA
Building your dream home? Experts in Your Home has custom home builders that are here to help! Click here to find out more or click below to request a quote on your dream home.
We also offer new construction standard models so you can know ahead of time all of the details of your home - including the budget! Learn more about our standard model new home options for Chico and Paradise.
