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ADDITIONAL ARTICLES

Get the Home that Tickles Your Heart!


Where you live expresses your personal Lifestyle; the things that you value most and the way you share your life with those around you. Did you ever describe something you thought you wanted, and then fall in love with something that seems almost the opposite? I have. Trying to communicate these values to your agent when purchasing a home may sound simple, but it is not always easy to articulate what makes your heart sing. Here is a series of questions I've adapted from Don Morris, a writer and psychologist who has spent years training others to get in touch with what they really want on a deeper, unconscious level, instead of the surface, first thoughts of what they think they want.

When contemplating a move, we often think first about what we want to change with a move. Usually this is to satisfy some dissatisfaction in our current situation, like a noisy apartment building, lack enough space for a growing family, or too much space to keep taking take care of. In addition, it is very helpful to spend some time thinking about what does work and what you do enjoy about where you currently live. Is it close to work? Is it peaceful? Do you love your garden? Start by making a list of what you enjoy most about where you live.

Then answer and rate the following 10 areas. This will help you identify those things that you value most. If you are buying with a spouse or another person, it's better if you separately do this exercise and then merge them together. These questions should jog your mind and help you determine what is important, i.e. Do you really like to have a large group seated around the table frequently, or, on the infrequent times you have large groups, is buffet style just fine? Do you B-B-Q a lot and want easy access to the yard from the kitchen? Are you a person who needs quiet time away from the rest of the family, are there enough separate spaces for you or do always like the company of others and want the "Great room" where everybody is in the same area. Are your children young and learning to ride bikes? Would you like a level neighborhood with sidewalks at least for the next few years? Are the children older and now is the time to move up a hill, closer to the beach, or some other place that didn't seem to work with a young family?

You can assist yourself ,and your agent, in finding the best place for yourself by doing the following exercises. When you have completed these, identify the 3 to 5 top priorities, share them with your agent and set out to find the place that tickles your heart!

Rate everything below on a scale of 1 to 5. (1 is least valuable, 5 is most valuable):

1. Neighborhood

Friendly neighbors
Family neighborhood
Easy access to commute
Quiet streets away from traffic
Unpaved streets
Rural or out-of-the-way location
Homes of like design and price range
Privacy from other homes
Cul-de-sac location
Eclectic neighborhood



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2. Architectural Style

Traditional
Modern
Wood
Shingle
Stucco
Other

3.Yard Design

Spacious frontyard
Spacious backyard
Fenced
Heavily shrubbed and trees
Open spaces
Private spaces
Level lot

4. Views

Attractive backyard
Minimum of obstacles in sight
Ocean/water view
Whitewater view
Trees, hills
Neighborhood
Lights

5. Colors

Earthy
Neutral
Pastal
Bright, bold

5. Kitchen

Separate from other rooms
Open to family room
Open to family, dining and living rooms
Set up for gourmet cooking
All appliances
Willing to remodel

7. Separate Family Room

Having people over weekly, monthly, annually
Easy access to backyard
Patio
Deck
Fireplace

8. Dining Room

Separate and private
Informal
Open to kitchen
Great room style
Seating for how many people

9. Bedrooms/Bathrooms

Large master suite
Master bathroom
More than one master suite
Number of bedrooms
Number of bathrooms

10. Other

Move-in condition
Updated and contemporary
Formal entry
Drive-up curb appeal