House hunting can be an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s easy to lose sight of what you originally wanted when you started searching. My partner and I almost put an offer in on a house that we likely would have immediately regretted. We had become so caught up in the aesthetics of the home that we forgot what really matters. Thankfully, we had created a dream home wishlist ahead of time, which helped us stay grounded and walk away from a home that wasn’t right for us. 

When you’re house hunting it’s important to remember that you’re not just committing to a home, you’re committing to a lifestyle. You’re choosing what your daily routine will look like, what school your kids will go to, and what kind of community you’re surrounded by. By creating a wishlist of all the internal and external factors that are important to you in a home—you can avoid getting distracted. 

The internal factors to consider

Think about what your daily life currently looks like, and how a house would support or interfere with that. Are there aspects of your current home that frustrate you? What about aspects that make your life easier? Make a list of what you do and don’t like about your current space and how you could apply that to house hunting. Consider the layout of the home, size, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, your must-have features, accessibility and storage needs. Is there a quiet space for you to work from home? Or enough storage for your fancy mug collection? For example, I knew we needed at least 3 bedrooms—one for us, one for my office, and one for guests. We also wanted an older home with some unique character. Your priority might be having a large kitchen because you love cooking or a backyard for your dog to run around in. Most importantly, make sure the home would allow you to do the things you love in it—like your hobbies or hosting family. 

External factors to consider 

External factors such as the location, neighbourhood, community, and proximity to amenities are just as important as the house itself because they shape your day-to-day life. Consider your commute time to work, nearby schools, access to public transportation, safety, and even the future potential of the neighbourhood. My partner and I were actually house hunting in a city that we didn’t reside in, so we had to get creative with how we researched areas. We looked at crime reports and city data online, browsed Reddit threads and Facebook groups, used the “street view” on Google maps, and did short weekend trips to explore. Our wishlist included being close to green space and having some amenities within walking distance. Whenever we found a home we liked we would check the distance to these things on the map. Your priority might be having excellent schools nearby, or a short commute to work. Whatever your priorities are, take the time to reflect on the external factors that are most important to you to ensure your home would meet your needs.

Creating a house hunting plan

Now that you have a better understanding of your ideal internal and external factors, let’s take all that information and use it to build your house hunting plan. Share this wishlist with your realtor, and use filters to narrow down your search. For example, you can use filters to only see homes in a specific price range, neighbourhood or with a specific number of bedrooms. The goal is to drown out the noise and avoid getting distracted by homes that ultimately don’t meet your needs. Doing this will allow you to make the process more efficient and ensure the homes you go to view are actually aligned with your lifestyle. 

My final tips

As you’re creating your wishlist, I encourage you to think beyond today and envision how your needs might change in the future. Consider what aspects are somewhat flexible and which ones are non-negotiables. You might not check off everything, but you definitely don’t want to compromise on what’s most important to you. Earlier I shared that my partner and I almost put in an offer on a home that wasn’t functional for our life. It had a lot of character, but it was way too big, and didn’t have any of the external factors we wanted. My advice is to think of your wishlist as your compass—it will help you navigate the house hunting process, stay on track, and guide you to your dream home.