What Do You Want In a DC Metro Home?

Is 2020 the year to buy the DC Metro home you’ve been dreaming of? Your credit is good, you’re well on your way to saving up for the down payment, and you’ve got a highly recommended DC Metro real estate agent in your back pocket. You may have a faint idea of what you’re looking for in a home, but if you’re ready to buy, it’s time to get specific.

We’ve laid out four questions you should ask yourself when looking for a home, whether in Washington, DC, Montgomery County, or Northern Virginia.  

#1 – What type of home do you want?

There’s the obvious decision between house and condominium. But within those categories, there are many sub-categories. For example, townhome, rowhouse, new construction, historical home, etc. And then, there are different architectural styles: Bungalow, Cape Cod, Colonial, Ranch, Split Level, Tudor, Victorian, and many more. Search for homes in the DC Metro area by using our custom search engine at TheEstridgeGroup.com. It allows for filtering through different types and styles so you can get a feel for what you like and don’t like.

#2 – What size of home do you want?

It is very easy to walk into a home and fall in love with it without considering whether it works for you and your family first. Size of home is a common factor that people overlook for beauty. But ask yourself the following questions when degerming the right size for your home:

  1. How long do I plan on living here? If the answer is 10+ years and you have a growing family, obviously you’ll have to size up. But if your children are a couple years away from flying the nest, then ask yourself if you really need that extra bedroom.
  2. Am I ready and willing to take care of it? The larger the space, the more you need to clean. Or the more you need to pay a housekeeper to clean it. Also, a home tends to be like buying a purse. The bigger the purse, the more “stuff” you find to put in it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting the extra space. It’s just something you need to think about before you pull the trigger.
  3. Can I or will I be able to furnish it? Your dream home may have looked fantastic staged with furniture, but do you have the couches, tables, and chairs (not to mention décor) to fill the rooms when you move in? Make sure you can afford to furnish the home of your dreams.

#3 – Amenities

The beauty of the MLS system is that allows you to get specific. When you come to us at the Estridge Group, we will sit down with you and talk about what you are looking for in a home. But before that happens, it’s not a bad idea to visit TheEstridgeGroup search engine and do a little narrowing down on your own. Here’s an example of what you will find when you look:

#4 – Lifestyle

This is where you really want to take a look at your lifestyle and ask yourself: How do I want to spend my days? What are my priorities? If you’re an avid golfer — the kind that doesn’t go a weekend without hitting the links — then choosing a golf property or living by a golf course is a no-brainer. If you’re somebody who travels a lot, picking a home with high maintenance grounds may not be the best idea. Unless, of course, you’re willing to pay for a gardener to do the work for you. If you really crave social interaction, then a shared space within your living community such as a dog park, community pool, or tennis courts is something you should keep in mind in your search.