The average American lives in each home for about seven years so it is important to think ahead. Where are you in your life right now and will your home meet your needs in one year or two years time? If you are thinking of getting married or starting or adding to your family a one-bedroom condo may not be the most suitable to meet your future needs. So before leaping into purchasing a new home decide what you need and what you can afford and think of the future.

When we go shopping for anything we generally have a good idea of what we want and the same should apply to a new home however, a home is probably the most expensive purchase one is likely to make in a lifetime so it is doubly important to decide up front what you want. Of course you may want a swimming pool and a stable with room for a pony however this is where you need to be realistic. It is a good idea to come up with a list of what you need and what is nice to have. You might be lucky enough to be able to afford everything on your wish list and you may be lucky enough to get it however this is generally not going to happen. There is no problem in thinking big however remember you may need to make the decision later that, if you get the home with the enormous family room, there may not be a large dining room.

The list of must haves should be thought through carefully as you do not want to get into a situation where you miss a perfect home at an affordable price because you did not look at other homes since they do not meet your must have list.

Write up your list and bring it with you as you go to view potential homes. Write up notes beside each item on this list as to the reason you need this so you can be clear as to why some properties work for you and others do not. This will also help you when you go home after viewing some properties and are wondering why you disregarded one of the homes. Stick with your well thought out list and you will not go astray.