Are you a family that values its privacy, or are you a bunch of social butterflies always looking for the latest neighborhood gathering? Do you need to be close to or in the city to enjoy its amenities, or would you rather hop into the car drive in to catch the action? What about space? Are you looking for the wide open spaces of the countryside, or do you like to have a lot of people around you at all times? All of these questions and more need to be answered before you spend money on a house for you and your family only to find out that you’re all miserable with the purchase.
So, if you want to live in the…
- Country, you can expect to get a lot more home for your money and probably have lots of privacy. However, expect to have an extended daily commute, as well as travel to any sort of entertainment- the pickings for such things in rural areas can be sparse.
- Suburbs, you can expect close knit neighborhoods and cul-de-sacs filled with tons of kids. This is the most popular option for families, as it is the median in housing. But if you don’t want the neighbors knowing that you get home everyday at 5:35pm, you might opt for something with a bit more privacy.
- City, expect to be closer to many different employment opportunities, malls, restaurants, schools and entertainment. However, city life is noisy, has higher crime rates, and is definitely more expensive than the other options.
That’s pretty much it for the types of areas to live in. There are, of course, variations of them all as well as half-way points, like a cul-de-sac in the country, entertainment in the suburbs, and so on. Now we’re going to go over the types of dwellings for you to think about.
So, you want to live in a …
- Single Family Home, expect some privacy, a quiet indoors, a steady increase in value, and private yard options like gardens and flowerbeds. However, this type of dwelling requires a lot of maintenance, and maintenance costs money.
- Condominium or Townhouse, expect less expenses than a traditional single-family home, as you pay condo fees to have the landscape tended to and the sidewalks and parking shoveled in the winter. However, since it’s like living in an apartment, you can expect a similar noise level. You’ll be sharing common walls with your neighbor, as well as the ceiling/floor floor/ceiling scenario. You can’t really jump on your floor at 3am if you live in a condo.
Of course, options like single story, multi-story and split level homes all have their pros and cons, too. Single story homes, like a ranch, offer easy wheelchair accessibility and require very little trudging up and down the stairs. Multi-levels are nice, like a colonial, as they tend to keep the noise levels on one floor. A split-level home, like a raised ranch, offers lots of extra living space, but very little room for storage. There are lots of things for you to think about, but with a little bit of research and a lot of work, you’re sure to find the ideal home for you and your family.
