The
problem is that in most cases the perfect solution doesn’t exist
and you will find yourself having to make a difficult choice – the
home you love, at the size you need or a home in the right part of
town.
When
budget is a factor (and it usually is) you often have to trade off a
place in the popular part of the city for a bigger property further
away from the best area. Popular postcodes often come with a price
tag to match, so you’ll get better value for money if you accept a
place that’s not in the popular area. When it comes down to it,
though, in most cases – what’s more important? An extra bedroom and a decent sized garden for the kids, or being able to say you live
in the nice part of town?
It’s
been suggested that men and women see things differently, with men
wanting to spend their cash on getting a bigger property and
therefore more for their money, while women often tend to put more value on the location of a house, because they see a wider picture –
they want everything close by, amenities for children (or potential
children), good schools and a nice neighbourhood.
If
you can’t find a property you can afford in the area you really
want, you might need to consider whether you’re being realistic
about the whole thing. You could hold out for a place that ticks
every single box…and still be waiting in two years’ time. Or you
could decide to compromise on your list of criteria and then find a
gem of a place that you wouldn’t have noticed if you were still
holding out for that non-existent affordable property with three
bedrooms and a garage in your favoured area.
If
you need extra room for a growing family, it’s probably wise to
expand your search to include areas you might not have considered
too. Just because it’s not the fashionable post code doesn’t mean the area is going to be awful; check out a few neighbourhoods and
find areas that you would consider. Research schools and transport
links and see if you can’t find somewhere that appeals just as
much.
If
you don’t have a growing family to consider, you can be pickier
about location and opt for a smaller home that uses space cleverly.
Be flexible on the number of rooms you need and see how the current
owners have used available space; older properties may have potential
for expansion, and are often bigger than new builds to start with,
making a one or two bedroom flat much bigger than it sounds.
The key is to be realistic. If you’re looking for advice on finding
the right home for you, contact us at Sturrock
Armstrong & Thomson and we’ll be delighted to
help.
