Your home may be the biggest purchase you ever make. Whether you are a new or experienced buyer, the process is complex. The most important result of a home purchase is that you love living in your home in the years after you buy it. This is a simple process I use with all my buyers to make sure they get the home they really want.

THE GOAL:
Before you begin shopping for a home, you want to know the top 3 - 5 things that will fulfill your needs and make you happy with the home in the years after the purchase. For some this may be a large kitchen, bright living spaces or a large garage. Others may need excellent school districts or an easy commute to work. The list of what could be important to you is long and varied. It depends on who you are, what your goals and needs are, and what about your home makes you happy.

STEP ONE:
Write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What makes me happy in a home?
2. What is most important to my and my family's lifestyle right now?
3. In which rooms will I spend the most time?
4. What have I enjoyed most about places I've lived?
5. What have I disliked about places I've lived, and what would be better than that?
6. When I imagine my perfect home, what stands out the most for me?

STEP TWO:
Narrow down your criteria.

The answers to the questions in step one will reveal many things that you need and enjoy in your living space. However, in order to successfully find your dream home, you need to narrow your list down to 3 - 5 answers. If you are a married couple, you should start with your own lists, and then merge them so that ONLY THE TOP 3 -5 CRITERIA REMAIN.

How does this help?

As you're looking through the available houses on the market, many of them will have features that you do or do not like. Some people buy a house because it has one or two features they like, only to realize after the sale that they had forgotten what was really important. You want to enter into a purchase contract confident that you will be getting what you want from your home in the years to come. By writing down your top 3 - 5 criteria, you stay focused through the shopping process.

STEP THREE:
Adapt.

As you shop for homes and get exposed to more options, your top 3 - 5 criteria may change. This is a natural part of taking in new information. It is important NOT to add to the list, because a long list of what you need in a home will probably make finding a home impossible. If you realize that you want or need something different, replace an item on your list with the new desire. This will keep you focused during the process and satisfied after the sale.

In summary, by taking some time before you begin shopping to get clear about what you want in your new home, you put yourself in a position not only to be competitive in the marketplace, but also to be deeply satisfied with your home purchase in the years to come.