As a first time buyer, it can be mind-blowing when you consider the sheer range of properties on the market in your price range. There’s flats, penthouses, terrace houses, cottages and even eco-friendly Scandinavian type dwellings. As well as this, you need to consider how you are going to furnish your new humble abode. Do you go ultra modern, traditional or a mixture of the two? Purchasing a blank canvas can give you the flexibility to really put your own stamp onto a property. However, how do you know what that stamp is going to look like? Take a look at these ideas that will help any first-time buyer purchasing their very own little patch of bricks and mortar.
First Time Buyer 101: Form Or Function?
Space
The most common non-negotiable when looking for your first property is space. You need enough of it, so you don’t develop cabin fever and can store all of your stuff. But you also don’t want too much so that you can hear your own echo. Finding the right balance can be tricky. Ensure that you have enough interior living space so that you are comfortable. It sounds a little new age and hippyish, but you really will get a ‘feel’ for the dwelling within the first twelve seconds of stepping inside. Does it have natural light? Can you see yourself living there? Will your furniture ideas work in the space? Consider these vital questions when looking at your potential property purchase as a first-time buyer.
Design
It doesn’t matter whether you are purchasing a virtually derelict fixer upper or if you’re buying somewhere newly renovated, you can still make your own mark. If looking at apartments, you’ll be living in more of a community with neighbors beside you as well as possibly underneath and above. This can make for smaller living spaces. To add an element of security, it pays to look into the perks of door entry systems. This way, not any Tom, Dick or Harry can enter your building, and you’ll feel safer knowing only those people let in by residents will ever be present on your complex.
When designing your new place, think about clever storage solutions. Ottoman beds, coffee tables with concealed storage and slimline bookcases all make for intuitive solutions to storage issues. If you have a lot of ‘stuff’, don’t assume you need to buy a four bed detached mansion to house it all. You simply need to think outside the box, have a clear out and declutter before venturing into the world of storage solutions.
Comfort
Just because a sofa looks aesthetically pleasing doesn’t mean it’s going to be designed with ergonomic comfort in mind. Remember it may look pleasing to the eye, but you’ll have to be sitting on it for the next five years or more. Any chance of it giving you a backache and you’ll have to give it a miss. Form over function is a dangerous path to tread especially when you consider day to day living in your humble abode. Try and find the balance between great interior design and comfort by trying out furniture before you buy.
Being a first-time buyer is exciting, a little nerve-wracking and hugely daunting. However, follow these tips, and you will make a success of your first leap onto the property ladder.
Are you a first-time buyer? Does this post give you some good ideas of how to make the first experience a little easier? Or do you have suggestions that would help other first-time buyers? Please add your comments to the box below.
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