Is Your Home Working For You?

All over the country, the lack of homes for sale continues to be a concern. Pent up demand and multiple offers are prevalent while homeowners, concerned about the possibility of not finding another home to suit their needs, are sitting on the sidelines making the problem worse by not putting their home on the market when under different circumstances, they would.

Although this has been the national story, I think it is important to remind my clients that your home isn’t just an investment. It is where you spend your days, your nights, where you celebrate, grieve, and make memories. It is so much more than numbers on a piece of paper. Your home needs change over time as the lifestyles of the people living there change. So instead of trying to time the market, maybe you should be asking yourself if your home is working for you the way it once did.

Here are some questions to ask yourself (and your family members if applicable):

• Do the number of bedrooms and the configuration of these rooms meet our current needs?
  Remember to also think about both your parents and children’s needs not just now, but a year or more down the road.
• Do the public areas of our home (such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, and powder rooms) work with how we live and prefer to use them?
  For example, if you often have several teenagers over and they always take over the living room, relegating you to your bedroom, then you may want to rethink your preferred public area setup.
• Does our home support the way we live?
  If you are an avid chef, does the kitchen meet your needs? If you have an active family with a lot of sports equipment, do you have room to store it all? If you are paying extra for a storage unit each month or have a completely crammed garage, give this question some thought.
• Is the location of our home ideal for work, play, and school?
  If you spend a lot of time in the car, it might be wise to take a closer look at this and determine if there is a more-optimal location to live.
• Can we do everything we want on our property?
  If you want to raise chickens, is your property zoned to do that? Is parking a challenge? If you want to work on your car in the driveway, are you allowed to do that?

If these questions have you wondering if your home is indeed still working for you, give me for a no-pressure consultation. I will show you the types of properties currently on the market with the amenities and location you are looking for along with the price so you can determine if a move could be worth it. Don’t feel like because the market isn’t optimal for buyers right now that a move isn’t possible. Let’s talk about your options. Call (253) 222-2626 or email john@altitude-re.com.