After many decluttering sessions you have decided you no longer want to share your bedroom with a piece of exercise equipment or have laundry drying on a rack in the den.  You know you want to move to a new home, but how do you know if you need more space or just a different layout? 

Look carefully at the layout of your current home, not just its total square footage.  Make a list of what you like about your current home and what works for your lifestyle.  Make a second list of things that don’t work or you would like to change.  The bedrooms and bathrooms may be adequate but the kitchen and den simply can’t contain your family activities any longer.  Maybe your kitchen works well, but your bedrooms and closets are small and you now need a dedicated office space.  Be sure you know exactly what does and doesn’t work in your current home so you aren’t just buying more space, but also an improved layout that will support your needs.  You may be able to buy a home of similar size with a different layout that will give you expanded options without paying for more space than you will use.

When you start searching for a new home, the primary consideration should be how you and your family will use the space for “everyday” functions rather than how it would be used for entertaining or special occasions.  Look at furniture and other items you have now and imagine how they will fit into the new space you are considering.  Do you need separate “dedicated” spaces for the kitchen, dining room and den?  Or, would an open kitchen/dining/den combo serve your needs and allow for the space of a dining room to be used for another function?  Do you need a laundry room and a mudroom or would a combination of the two be sufficient?  Would having a smaller laundry space on a second floor conveniently located near bedrooms (where the dirty laundry lives!) make you happier than having to carry loads and loads of laundry to a larger utility room on the first floor?  Do you need long, wide hallways or would you rather have a layout where bedrooms and baths were connected by a smaller community space?  There is rarely a “perfect” home, but knowing how you need your home to perform and keeping an open mind about all possibilities will make your home search much more targeted and fun!

...."You've Got A Friend in Real Estate"

Jarod Tanksley 615.403.8265

www.BrentwoodandBeyond.com

Brentview Realty 615.373.2814