Apr 12

Apr 12 My Five Must-Haves When House Hunting

The notion of house hunting conjures both excitement and anxiety in many people. It’s such a huge investment, where decisions often must be made in an environment that feels like a pressure cooker. Our last selling and buying experience was one of those very intense times. Selling was the easy part - buying, not so much. As a seller in the notoriously competitive housing market in Northern Virginia, we had the luxury of trusting our real estate agent to maneuver us through offers that quickly resulted in a contract and sale. Entering the market in San Antonio as a buyer was a whole other journey! Although we are native Texans, it had been fifteen years since we had house-hunted in the State, and our needs for a family homestead had changed, additionally, there were key elements that had to be met in order to lock in on “the one.” Despite surveying home styles that were significantly different, we had a priority list that I believe has played into all our home selections. Things that are both actual and intangible that contribute to an overall idea of something we can live with and love. Putting pen to paper, I’ve boiled them down to five top things we look for in a home:

I love the diffused light of the stair hall, and the curved profile of the baseboard - an original feature to the home.

5 Things to Look For in a Home:

1. NATURAL LIGHT

One of the first things I notice in a home is how the light plays in it. Are there many windows? What size are they? What direction do they face (which will determine if the house gets direct sunlight, and in what season). If some rooms are lacking light, is there a way to open it up? The amount of natural light in our home has so much bearing on how we feel in the spaces, that it’s absolutely a top priority in house hunting. I loved the golden light that bathed the rooms throughout the home we now own, and felt an immediate sense of comfort from it.

2. ARCHITECTURE / ORIGINAL ELEMENTS

With the exception of our home Northern Virginia, all our homes have been old - most circa 1920s-30s. We love old homes because of the inherent character, beauty, and soundness in which they were built. If we have the opportunity to look at historic properties, we give priority to those that have been well-preserved. When we came across our current home, I was smitten with the authentic stone exterior - a hallmark of historic San Antonio homes in our neighborhood - as well as original millwork.

3. SPACE & FLOW

A house can have generous spaces, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the house has good flow. When touring a house, I always think about how we’d enter it on a daily basis, how guests would enter, how people would circulate in the rooms. Although walls can be taken out or put in, it’s usually an expensive endeavor to create flow that makes sense, when it doesn’t already exist.

4. DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES

There’s people who want a home that’s “move-in ready,” and then there’s people like us, who’d rather have the chance to make changes to our taste, than have fresh design decisions made by a previous owner for the purposes of selling. Give me something quirky or cheesy, and I see it as an opportunity to make fantastic improvements! When we toured our current home for the first time, I knew we could take the existing, unfortunate fireplace and turn it into a special focal point. Post coming soon with changes we’ve made so far!

5. ATMOSPHERE

Probably the toughest element to describe is the intangible concept of “atmosphere.” It goes to the soul of a home, and what kind of life you envision in it. It can be heritage trees making for an amazing lot, or the way a house sits on the land to give it a special presence. It can be a hint of something yet to be drawn out by sensitive design - all I know is I know it when I feel it.

Putting these things first has often meant sacrifices - potentially less home for the price, but what we possibly “lose,” we more than make up for in the end by creating a home that feels true to us.