Lifestyle tops list when buying a home

PURCHASING a new home is one of the most exciting yet challenging tasks that people undertake.
There are so many things running through your head about accessability, costs, suitablility of the dwelling for the period of time you intend to live in it, and the quality of your overall investment.
The best advice I was ever given, just before buying my new home, was to keep lifestyle front and centre. It is the most predominant factor that should determine the choice of where you live.
Of course, you are purchasing a dwelling as an investment. Everyone expects that their housing investment will achieve capital gains in the short to medium term, and having those capital gains invested in a dwelling is a lifestyle choice just as much as having a savings plan.
However, short term gains associated with boom property times (such as in the early 2000s) would not be a wise ongoing expectation, nor would sacrificing your lifestyle in the hope of a quick windfall gain.
The location, price and other localised factors are also very significant. In general, new estates, and newer developments have been constructed with significantly higher building standards, in desirable locations and with modern lifestyle expectations in mind.
Choose wisely and carefully, ensuring that you ask questions about building standards and the unique circumstances associated with the area in which you are planning to buy. Further advice frequently given is to carefully examine the costs associated with your choice of dwelling (eg running costs).
With utilities charges for water and electricity seemingly going through the roof, these are obvious areas where you can consider whether the property has a rainwater tank linked to toilets, for example, whether there is a solar hot water system, and perhaps whether photovoltaic cells that generate electricity have been provided for your dwelling.
It is a well-known fact that modern homes perform significantly better by way of reducing living costs than do the vast majority of existing homes.
So, in conclusion, while making this important choice, try not to get swept away with the emotion (sometimes stress), or the pressure which can be felt when your situation may have become more urgent. Explore the history of the area, and the locality, and the street in which you plan to live. Question carefully whether it will meet all of your lifestyle needs for the period of time you intend to live there and finally, explore the costs of being a homeowner in this new age of changing lifestyles and expectations.