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8 Things to consider about the size of your potential new home

Nov 21, 2017
8 Things to consider about the size of your potential new home
There are lots of decisions involved in buying a house, such as budgets and areas to move to.
But here we tackle one of the most fundamental questions - how big does your home really need to be?

1. How many bedrooms do you need?

When most people think about moving home, they think of the number of bedrooms. And it’s little wonder - it’s one of the best ways of gauging how many people can comfortably live in a particular house. If you’re not sure how many bedrooms you need, ask:
  • Are the kids willing to share a room?
  • If you don’t have children, do you plan on having them in the near future?
  • Do you have visitors to stay often?
  •  Can you create the space you need elsewhere?
  •  Do you work from home?
For example, if you regularly have friends and family to stay, a guest bedroom is probably a must-have for the comfort of everybody. And, if you’re thinking about having a child in the next few years, it’s worth considering nursery space as well.

2. Get the floor plans if need be

Another way to compare is simply by looking and comparing between your current home and a potential new one. If you’re unsure about using these metrics, ask for a floor plan which will have measurements in metres and centimetres, so you can compare the size of each room to where you currently live.

3. Consider running costs

Bigger houses are generally costlier to run, whether that’s electricity, water bills or simply accounting for council tax. If you’re weighing up the pros and cons of bigger and smaller houses, make sure you bear costs in mind. That said, new build houses should be very energy efficient, so the impact of an extra bedroom on your utility bills should be negligible. If in doubt, you can always use an energy efficiency calculator to check.

4. Space for pets

If you have pets, you’ll have to consider whether you will have enough home in your new property for them to live happily. Dogs, for instance, will enjoy an outside area where they can expend some energy, while smaller, caged pets, will need less room. Caged animals such as guinea pigs can often make lots of noise, so you’ll need to ensure you can keep them without them keeping you awake at night. Whatever pet you have or are considering getting, factor its needs in before you move house, just like you’d consider your own.

5. Garden space for children

Outdoor space is not just useful for pets. Children too, will also benefit from having room to play. Gardens are also great for making memories, whether that’s summer days spent playing in a paddling pool or teaching them to ride their first bike on the patio. If a garden is a must, it’s well worth searching until you find a great house with a garden to match.

6. Parking space

If you have a car or a number of cars, parking space will be one of your biggest considerations. If you’ve not got a garage or space to build one, will you be able to park on a drive or will you have to get a permit from the council to park on the street outside? Find out on your local council’s website before you move if you’ll need a permit and how much it’ll cost, or ask possible neighbours about the situation.

7. Storage space (including garage and shed)

Storage space is important if you want to keep a nice, tidy home. Consider where you’ll keep all your belongings, whether you’ll have a spare room, loft, or you’ll purchase furniture items with nifty storage compartments. Storage is important outside too, so is there a garage or will you need to buy a shed for all your gardening tools?

8. Be creative with your space

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the exact number of bedrooms you need, don’t worry because there are plenty of ways to get creative with your space. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for clever storage solutions, room dividers and hobby areas, while Instagram is also useful is you follow the right people, so do your research and don’t shy away from embracing some DIY space-saving techniques.

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