It’s easy to become overwhelmed when looking for a home, especially in Metro Vancouver. As the second most expensive city to live in, it is important to fully maximize your investment in your home. My Vancouver “Home Hunter Checklist” can be found here and can help keep track of the homes that you view. A second exercise that can assist you in maximizing your investment in your home, is to create a must-have/would-love list for your home. For your convenience, I've created a must-have/would-love checklist template here.Because the checklist has tick boxes and a section for notes, you can reprint this as many times as you like and bring it to every prospective house!
Tips to creating a must-have/would-love list:
1. Prioritize your top ten “must-haves” and then list your top ten “would-loves.”
2. Avoid listing quick-fixes as must-haves. When generating your must-haves, try to avoid listing niceties that can easily be amended in a home such as countertop material. Instead, focus on components that would require major renovations or are not amendable such as layout and yard size.
3. What do you hate about your current home? Considering your current home’s major flaws and grievances can help prompt must-haves that accurately reflect your needs. What bothers you most about your current home (cramped kitchen, split-level design, not enough sunlight)? Also, consider what it is that is spurring your move (new school district, closer to transit)?
4. List your minimums. Unlike countertops, space is something that is not easily remedied. Consider the fewest number of bedrooms and bathrooms that you’d need, the least square footage that you’d be happy with, and how small of a yard would suit your purposes.
5. Is it a must-have or a would-love? Once you’ve compiled a list, split them into must-haves, the specifics that you cannot live without or easily amend,
and would-loves, the items that you’d love to have, but don’t need or the items that can easily be amended.
6. Prioritize the items within each list, beginning with the most important at the top of each list and working down to the least important
7. Make your own lists! If you are buying a home with a spouse, significant other, family member, or someone else, it is important that you each create your own list and then compare them to one another; this will help you to create a master list that incorporates the needs and wants of each buyer.