Buying a home is a significant endeavor. Homeowners must consider a seemingly endless array of factors, including financing, location, resale value, and more.
When you’re purchasing a home, something to pay some extra attention to is your prospective home’s size. Your home’s size can significantly impact your lifestyle and level of comfort. While it might be tempting to buy the largest home your budget allows, bigger isn’t always better.
It may sound like trouble, but don’t fret—KRM Custom Homes is here to help you choose a home that’s the perfect size to support your needs. Keep reading for our expert tips!
Assessing Your Needs and Lifestyle
Choosing the perfect size home requires careful consideration of your personal needs and lifestyle. Understanding your current and future needs helps you choose a home that best suits your unique requirements.
Family Size: The number of people in your household is a primary factor in determining the appropriate size of your home. A family with multiple children will need more bedrooms, and possibly extra bathrooms, compared to a single person or a couple.
Younger children may share rooms, but teenagers often need their own space. If you have elderly parents living with you, or plan to host them in the future, you may need extra space for their comfort and privacy.
Hobbies and Interests: Your daily routines and hobbies will impact the type of space you need. If you frequently host gatherings, you might want a larger living room, dining area, or outdoor space. If you work from home, a dedicated home office could make all the difference. Consider reserving areas for your hobbies, and factor space for home gym, a craft room, or home theater.
Long-term Planning: Think about your long-term plans and how they might affect your space requirements. Planning for children or expecting family changes means needing more space in the future. Think about the laout of your home, and how easy it will be to accomodate extensions in the future. Also consider whether you need a home that will accommodate your needs as you age, such as a single-story layout and accessible features for aging in-place.
Considering Maintenance and Upkeep
When you’re in the market for a new home, it’s easy to be swayed by the allure of more space, more rooms, and more amenities. However, it’s important to look beyond the initial price tag and consider the long-term costs associated with running a larger home. It’s important to be honest and realistic with yourself when considering the time, money, and effort you’re willing to invest in your home on a regular basis.
Cleaning: Larger homes have more square footage to clean and maintain. Regular cleaning can become a time-consuming task, and you may find yourself needing to hire professional cleaning services, which adds to your monthly expenses.
Repairs and Maintenance: Repairs and general maintenance tasks, such as painting, plumbing, and electrical work, tend to be more frequent and costly in larger homes. Wear and tear are inevitable, and with more space comes more potential for things to break down or require updates.
Landscaping: Bigger homes typically come with larger yards. While a spacious garden can be a delightful feature, it also demands regular care. Mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, and maintaining flower beds and trees requires a significant investment of time and money. Professional landscaping services help, but comes with a cost.
Utility Costs: Heating, cooling, and powering a larger home requires more energy, leading to substantially higher utility bills. Think about how much more you’ll spend on electricity, gas, water, and other utilities to keep a larger space comfortable and functional.
Home size is a critical factor that influences your comfort, lifestyle, and financial well-being. Bigger homes aren’t always better, and the right size for you depends on your unique needs and preferences. By carefully considering your lifestyle, future plans, and the potential resale value, you can make a more informed decision and find a home that truly feels like your own.
At KRM Custom Homes, our experts are here to help you find or build a home that perfectly matches your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our custom home building services in the Des Moines metro area.
