Home buying was different in generations past. It was much more affordable to buy the home prior to the 1970s, and even those who lived on one income could often purchase a single-family home. For this reason, most people will have homeowners in their families from previous generations. If you are in the market for a new home, you should ask your older family member what they loved and would change about their home buying and owning experience. Here are three things that you will learn.
How many rooms do they wish they had
Homes prior to the 2000s often had a more closed floor plan, rather than a modern, open plan. This means that all designated activities such as cooking, lounging, and eating typically had an enclosed room of its own. Since most parents had a separate living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedrooms, ask them how they felt about the rooms and space they had. You may find that they enjoyed having a separate space for some of their activities. You may also find that due to having these separate rooms, they needed fewer closets or fewer bedrooms.
Was exterior space a benefit or hindrance
A big backyard is often a draw that builders and sellers use to get someone to purchase their home. Many older generations had gardens, such as victory gardens due to necessity, while others may have liked the hobby of growing flowers. Talk over whether the backyard space was useful for the family or if it creates a lot of busywork that took away from the enjoyment of the home. Be sure to get the scoop on all sorts of exterior spaces such as sheds, backyards, and gardens to determine what you can take on and what you would rather skip.
Get neighborhood advice
While all neighborhoods change during different decades, you will need to know what kind of neighborhood your family members wish they would have lived in. Sometimes, families wish they would have lived within walking distance to schools so that their children were more easily able to access schools, rather than having to take a long bus or car ride each day. Some may have preferred to stay closer to stores and to the center of town, especially if they enjoy having natural ingredients for food and need to grocery shop several times a week. Ask your family members what they would have changed to make their neighborhood better so that you can pick out prime real estate.
Keep these tips in mind when you're looking at new single-family homes.