Making your dream home instead of buying it… Part 1

Are you having a hard time finding the house of your dreams? You might be overlooking one important detail: There’s no reason to necessarily keep the house you end up buying as is. In fact, the odds of checking every single item of your “want” list in a single house listing are slim to none, so why not change your approach and reallocate your budget? Your dream home might be within your reach if you readjust your initial expectations.

Instead of expecting to find everything you desire ready-made, start looking at house listings in light of their potential to be molded into your dream home. Focus on checking off the “must-haves” on your list, and widen the net to include homes you might have skipped in your initial search due to an eyesore yard or outdated fixtures.

Start looking at homes in the next price bracket down from your maximum, and consider how you can use the savings to remodel. You could find the perfect diamond in the rough just waiting for your personal touch to shine.

Here are four key areas you can address with renovation to transform an “almost right” house into your dream home:

The kitchen

Love the house, but hate that narrow kitchen with the ratty flooring, tacky cabinets and worn countertops? If a wall can be knocked out between a tiny kitchen and formal dining area, you can redesign with a more open floor plan. Also, adding new counters, cabinets, appliances and flooring could ultimately make the remodeled kitchen the centerpiece of your new home.

Keep an eye out for next weeks post of part 2…