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“Rightsizing” Your New Home

Categories: Buying New, Mayberry Homes General, New Homes, News, Real Estate | Posted: March 17, 2023


 

It’s likely that you’ve heard of up-sizing or downsizing in home buying, but have you heard of “rightsizing”? The act of rightsizing is basically just what it sounds like – building a home that’s the right size for your family. There are several factors to consider when determining the ideal house size for your family.

 

Household Composition

There was a time when the general thinking was the perfect house size for a household of four was a four bedroom home. A bedroom for Mom and Dad, a bedroom for each of the kids and a spare room for when company came to visit. But with more and more multi-generational families and family compositions coming in to the mix, and a greater number of parents seeking the privacy that a first floor master affords them, traditional thinking has given way to more innovative home designs that include things like dual master bedrooms, a large bedroom devoted to more than one child with built-in bunk beds or an entire floor devoted as a guest or teen suite. If building a new home, talk about your current family’s composition, but remain forward-thinking. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average length of time a family stays in a home is 10 years. A lot can change regarding your family composition over the course of a decade – from adding new family members to inviting an aging parent to move in to college-bound children moving out.

 

Collective Personality

Does your family love its together time, or does everyone crave their own quiet space in the home? Are you a family that loves to entertain guests, host friends and family overnight or do you prefer to keep to yourselves? Your answers to both of those questions can impact your ideal home size. You may be that family who loves its together time but doesn’t really entertain others – meaning you could probably get away with a smaller home. However, you could fall into the other end of the spectrum – a family who appreciates space, but also loves to entertain – meaning you’ll need more room to spread out. For families who like together time and regularly invite others to join in the fun, an open concept design on the main level might be the ideal move for you.

 

Family Interests

This is another area where entertainment plays a major role. For one, if you like to entertain – changes are you’ve shared that “gene” with your offspring. If you have teenagers who like to host their friends at your house (the COOL house), you may want a dedicated space for them where they can watch YouTube or play video games on a big screen. This could be an upstairs bonus room, a space in the basement or a room you’ve never even imagined. A family of movie buffs may benefit more from a media room or home theater than they would a formal dining room. A health-conscious family may prefer an upstairs gym not far from their bedrooms for early morning workouts or a room in the basement where it’s quiet. If your household is full of family members who like to pamper themselves, you may want to put more of an emphasis on number of bathrooms and bathroom space. If you have a home full of aspiring chefs, kitchen space and configuration is a major consideration.

 

Long story short, no one knows better than you what’s the best size for your “home sweet home”. If you’re ready to “rightsize”, working closely with a new home builder like Mayberry Homes is a great way to determine not only the appropriate size of your home, but also the most beneficial uses of your living spaces. The Mayberry team welcomes the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the home of your dreams.

 

Schedule an appointment to talk with a New Home Expert about building you a perfect place to call home.

📞 | (517) 371-5000

 

New Year. New Home?

Categories: Buying New, Mayberry Homes General, New Homes, News, Real Estate | Posted: December 29, 2022

Planning to buy a new home in the new year? Start now.

Getting a jump on the housing market could help you buy sooner, smarter, and cheaper. To get ready to buy a new home in the new year, follow these five steps:

1. Make a list.

Step one in the home-buying process is to make a list of what you need and want in your home. Examples of popular “wants” include an open floor plan, spacious backyard, gas appliances, quartz or granite kitchen countertops, walk-in closets and a three-car garage. To get more ideas, think about things you don’t like about where you currently live and imagine options that would be better for you.

When you list your wants, consider your lifestyle as well as your design preferences. For example, if you plan to do a lot of gardening, you might want a larger backyard for raised beds or a bigger patio for containers.

Ranking your needs and wants in order of importance can be helpful to clarify your goals and ensure you’ll get what’s most important to you.

2. Do research.

The next step is to research mortgage loans, school districts, and new homes that are for sale in locations you like and spend as much time there as you can to narrow down your options.

As you do your research, keep in mind that you may have to adjust your “wants” to fit your budget. Home design websites and magazines typically showcase “the best of the best” and those rooms can prove costly to copy.

3. Set aside savings.

You should also set aside savings for moving costs, home repairs and maintenance and other homeowner expenses.

Newly built homes come with a builder’s warranty and various manufacturer’s warranties that can cover many repairs for some time. Warranties don’t cover everything, however, so you should prepared for some additional costs. Make a separate budget for improvements that typically aren’t included with your new home, such as window coverings, landscaping, and fences.

4. Talk to a New Home Expert.

Another good tip is to talk to a New Home Expert on the phone, online, or in our design studio.

A New Home Expert can answer questions about floor plans, pricing, square footage, lot locations, and more. 

If you’re struggling to nail down your needs and wants, we can help you do that. And if you and your spouse (or other co-buyers) have seemingly irreconcilable desires and expectations, we can suggest compromises and solutions.

5. Make a decision.

Buying a new construction home can be overwhelming, as well as fun and exciting! For that reason, you shouldn’t rush the process or worry if it takes you a long time to make a decision.

Some buyers have time constraints like getting married, having a child, or relocating for a job that force them to make a fast decision. If you’re not in that type of situation, be patient with yourself and your spouse while you’re doing researching and making a decision to buy a new home. When you find a home that meets your needs and fits your budget, you’ll be ready to go ahead and buy it.

Mayberry Homes is an award-winning home builder dedicated to building 100% ENERGY STAR new homes in Michigan. We build in our communities or On Your Lot within a 40 mile radius around Lansing, Michigan.

For more information on our new homes and communities, please call or email us.

517-371-5000
info@mayberryhomes.com
www.MayberryHomes.com

Main Office & Design Studio
1650 Kendale Blvd.

Suite 200 
East Lansing, MI 48823

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