Finding the Ideal New York Home for Entertaining
If you’re in the market to buy a home, you want to consider many factors before you even begin searching. Your lifestyle is one thing you’ll always want to keep in mind. If you’re someone that likes to entertain and have a lot of guests over, a tiny house with no backyard may not be the best option for you. It’s good to work closely with a real estate agent and give them a list of your must-haves so they can narrow down the search for you.
Figure Out Where You Want To Live
New York is a great place to live because you can choose to live in the city or far away from people. It’s a state that caters to just about anyone. If you want to move to a specific area due to your career, education, or family, you should let your real estate agent know this ahead of time. You should be willing to have a little bit of wiggle room when it comes to location if there are better deals for your budget in neighboring cities.
Consider everything you want when it comes to the location, such as schools, shopping, neighborhoods, amenities, and land size. Location is important because it’s where you’re going to establish some roots, and it should be somewhere that makes you happy.
Look For Good Entertainment Features
As someone that likes to entertain, it’s helpful to find a home that is already set up for entertaining. You’ll want to look for big kitchens, lots of counter space, a nice sized dining room, and a big living room. You may also want to make sure there’s a bathroom on the main floor where you plan on doing most of your entertaining.
Consider the outdoor space and whether it is large enough to host parties. You don’t necessarily need the biggest backyard, but a good deck for your guests is ideal. You can create the perfect outdoor oasis for your party guests to indulge in cocktails or margarita freeze pops while sitting by a cozy firepit on summer nights. You can get creative when customizing your space to make it work best for your needs.
Determine Your Budget
When buying a home, you’ll need to figure out how much you’re able to afford. Just because you get approved for a certain amount doesn’t mean you have to find something in that exact price range. A good rule to follow is to avoid going over 25% of your monthly take-home pay for your mortgage payment. If you stick to that rule, you should have plenty of breathing room when it comes to your finances, and it’ll give you extra money for savings.
You can use a free mortgage calculator online to punch in some numbers to determine what type of monthly payment you’ll have. The numbers won’t be exact, but they’ll give you a good indication of whether or not you can afford a house in your price range.
Be Willing to Compromise
It’s good to have a list of requirements you want your new home to have because you shouldn’t buy a home that you don’t love. It is, however, possible that you may not be able to find exactly what you’re looking for, and sometimes you might have to make compromises. Sticking to your budget and finding a home with most of the features should be your priority. It may be a bit disappointing when you spend months searching for a home that features every single thing on your list only to come up empty-handed. You may have to make some compromises along the way but may end up with something better than you could have hoped.
Buying a house can be a stressful time for most because there are a lot of uncertainties. It’s helpful to work with a real estate agent who knows the areas you’re most interested in like the back of their hand so they can help steer you in the right direction.
