Housing...Inside and Out

August 20, 1999
Your Housing Needs

Choosing your home depends on your personal and family needs, preferences and financial resources. These are also determining factors in deciding whether to rent or buy.

Your family's size, structure, age and stage may influence your current housing needs in the family life cycle. Other influences include the employment stability of the main wage earner, the likelihood of change in employment or change in income.

Few housing situations perfectly satisfy every need. Seldom does the same housing situation satisfy the needs of an individual, couple or family throughout their life cycle. Perhaps the most important aspect of determining your housing needs is the willingness to objectively reassess those needs as you move from one stage of the life cycle to another.

As you evaluate housing needs remember the costs of operating and maintaining a home are rising. Estimate your space needs carefully. Select housing that will realistically meet your needs, but be no larger than necessary.

The things you value will also cause you to select certain characteristics for you home. These characteristics may include location, comfort, beauty, convenience, prestige, privacy, safety and security, easy care and "peace and quiet." It is important to assess the intangibles of housing that affect your lifestyle and goals. Of course you will need to temper and guide your desires to meet your housing needs and financial capabilities.

Another step in selecting satisfactory housing is to consider the design and layout. You may find a house, apartment or mobile home in an ideal location, but if the design and floor plan of the dwelling do not meet your housing values and needs, you may become dissatisfied with your choice.

You should consider the traffic patterns in any dwelling that you are evaluating. The traffic flow should be direct, convenient and logical. It should not interrupt family activities or inhibit privacy.

Determine what living, sleeping and working areas are necessary. When doing this you will also realize there is a direct relationship between one room to another such as the kitchen and dining areas, which should be adjacent. Bedrooms should be separate from noisy living areas. The physical arrangements can encourage some patterns of behavior and discourage others. The overall design of the home should allow room for expressing individual identity.

In evaluating the exterior design, consider simplicity, patterns and texture as well as balance. A building's shape, pattern and form increase its individuality. Landscaping can also greatly improve uninteresting buildings.

The location of a home plays an important role in satisfying you and your family. The neighborhood provides friends and services and may add or subtract from the home's value. Also consider the location in relation to work, stores, schools, churches and other important places.

Cost is another major factor influencing the choice of a home. Once you have established your values and needs, it is essential to review the monthly budget to find out how much you can afford to spend.

When you have settled on a budgeted amount for housing, stay within that price range. As you look at housing, you may be tempted to go beyond your budget and consequently will need to plan excessive trimming of other daily expenses. This is the housing market trap. Exercise flexibility first with your desires then with your needs and last with your budget.

For a homeowner, housing costs can go beyond dollars and cents. A homeowner must also consider how much time and effort will have to be spent on routine maintenance activities such as yard work, decorating and other necessary activities.


Written by Dr. Francis Graham (Retired)

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