In the ground breaking new report ‘The Science of a Happy Home’, homeowner architects Resi identify that most people become less satisfied with their home over time. The survey of 4000 UK residents reveals this downward trend:
The report highlights that our lives move on and our homes often don’t keep up, leading us to want a new home. Perhaps you recognise this feeling.
In this blog we share some questions to consider, to help you decide if buying a house is going to be your financial resolution for 2021.
What is your current situation?
Before you start thinking about your dream home, spend some time considering your current home. What is it about your home that you would miss if you were to move? How close it is to the shops, your south facing garden, your friendly neighbours?
What is it about your current home that leaves you unsatisfied? The magnolia walls, the distance from family, being unable to decorate?
How would if feel to have a new home?
When thinking about a dream house it’s tempting to be unrealistic; to picture the Beverly Hills mansion. But think about all the cleaning involved and how far it is from family! Instead of focusing on looks, it makes better sense to focus on feelings.
Think about what having your dream house would make you feel like. Would you feel safer, happier, more relaxed, prouder? What is it about your dream house that would make life feel better?
Think, too, about how you would use your new home. Maybe your kids would play in the garden. Perhaps you’d have friends’ round for dinner. Walk to work to save commuting.
Describing your dream new home?
Now you know how you will use your dream home and how you will feel living in it, we can think about the details. These questions might help:
- How many bedrooms do you want?
- How many living spaces do you want?
- How many bathrooms do you want?
- What size garden do you want? Are you happy to maintain that size garden?
- Do you want to live in the centre of town, the suburbs, or the countryside?
- How important is it to being close to shops/restaurants/bars?
- How close to work do you want to be? If you change your commute how will this affect how much time you have with your family? Will it cost you more money to commute?
- Are there other things you need to live near? Schools is often the big one.
- Is it rentable if we have to move?
Once you know what you want, think about prioritising the answers. Is it better to have four bedrooms and be further from work, or three bedrooms and the ability to walk the children to school on the way to work?
Once you have prioritised your wants, you are on your way to setting your new home financial resolution.
Buying a new home is hard work
Once you know what you want, you need to spend time looking online for properties. Then you need to view them, get a mortgage arranged, make an offer, organise solicitors, pack, move, unpack, get to know your new area.
It can also be emotionally hard work whilst you worry if the purchase will ever go through.
Are the happy thoughts you get from your dream house worth the hard work involved? If it’s a ‘YES’, then a new house is a great financial resolution for the 2021, just remember to make sure your resolution is ‘SMART’.
Now take a moment to bottle the feeling of happiness you get when you think about your new home – you can use that feeling to help get you through the process of making it a reality.
In the New Year we’ll be releasing a series of blogs on things you need to know, and do, to make buying a new home a reality.
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