The Search Process: Wants vs. Needs

Candid shot of our neighbor

When my fiancee and I searched for apartments two years ago, we spent a lot of time looking at a bunch of crappy apartments we didn't really want. We were focused more on aesthetics than practicality and needs. This lead to multiple attempts at offing each other in our sleep. At the end we sort of came to a consensus on certain needs/wants, but we were not explicit about them. We vocalized that we needed a unit with in-unit wash/dryer and central A/C, but other than that things like neighborhood, square footage, quality of neighbors, and a few other things were never discussed. Thus, our current apartment is nice, but it is too small, the neighborhood is okay, and our crayon eating neighbors have the social qualities of a blob fish. This time around, my fiancee and I are making a list and checking it twice...especially for blob fish crayon eating neighbors.

From the Checklist

I discovered a list which was very helpful and somewhat humorous. My fiancee insisted that our future home have a boat lift and well/water pump.
The list we found has helped us focus on our needs vs. wants. I do not think this is the end all be all list, but if does help narrow down a few things.

We communicated things that we want (s.s. appliances, driveway, finished basement) and things that we need (garage/parking space, hardwood floors, two bathrooms, safe neighborhood). We input those parameters into various searches and came up with a slew of results on sites like redfin, Trulia, and Zillow. Thus began the search process.

Our search for a home began, and we merrily looked at homes. This was a lot of fun, but a bit tedious. We eventually enlisted the help of a realtor, Bob. For over a decade, Bob has sold home across the Chicagoland area. He comes highly recommended and he is very professional. Bob is good at making you feel comfortable and his knowledge is reassuring. Additionally, Bob sends us MLS (Multiple Listing Service) reports that include our parameters so we do not have spend time searching on the real estate websites (although, we do it occasionally). The reports are helpful and keep your preferred home saved and typically included what the big three real estate sites have.

We know that we might have to compromise certain needs when the time to make a decision comes, but listing our needs an wants really helps us toss out possible contenders. As for the neighbors, I can imagine that to be hit or miss, but I plan on attending community events to get a feel for the area prior to putting an offer on a place. I also use the Chicago Tribune's "Crime in Chicago" page to compare neighborhoods (please note that the site only uses a three month span). I've also had some success at researching future building developments in the area, as well as looking at community organizations websites. I haven't knocked on anyone's door yet, but I definitely haven't crossed that off of my list.

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