Design elements to look for when buying a house guide, Buying properties advice, Home purchase tips

Design Elements to Look for When Buying a House

19 April 2022

image credit: vu anh via Unsplash

When you’ve decided to buy a new home and start looking, there are some things that tend to occupy the top of the list – things like the neighborhood, commute, number of bedrooms, and more. Those definitely should be top considerations, but when choosing a home, there are some fundamental design features you should be looking for.

When you find the perfect home, it’s essential to take these design elements into consideration to be sure it really is the ideal home. Keep these things in mind as you look at houses and find the perfect one for you.

Natural Light

Natural light might not seem like a design feature, but that’s what it is. Unless you decide to fundamentally change the basic structure of the house, the natural light a home has is the natural light it’s always going to have.

This is why it’s vital to look at the number of windows and the directions they face to understand how much or little light the house will get not only when you visit but all year round.

Of course, there are plenty of ways you can amplify natural light or mimic it. Adding mirrors to strategic locations can bounce light around a space, light and neutral colored walls and decor can make a room feel bigger and brighter, and long and light curtains can make a room feel airy.

Size

You’ll likely know the square footage of a house before you visit, but what we’re talking about is usable space. How that square footage is laid out will significantly impact whether it’s the right house for you.

Also, as we mentioned, there are plenty of tricks to make a home seem bigger than it actually is, and homes are well-staged these days, so keep your eye out and make sure each room is big enough to meet your needs for it.

Windows

As mentioned earlier, the windows you have are likely to be the windows you will always have. That means that the views those windows provide are permanent. Houses with bad views might be more affordable but just think about looking at a busy highway or a neighbor’s wall all the time.

Additionally, windows also allow street noise, so think about whether there are schools, highways or transit hubs around.

That kind of noise might be easy to overlook when you’re first visiting and falling in love with a home’s other features, but school bells, screaming children and loud horns are only going to wear on you. Try to visit at various times of the day, so you don’t end up with unpleasant surprises.

Look for these elements as you look at potential houses. Some of these may not be dealbreakers, but it’s essential to take note and decide with a clear head whether you can live with them or not.

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