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In Partnership With Century 21
  1. Home
  2. Open Homes

How to create your dream-home wishlist

Consider it the number one tool on your house hunt - by Kathryn Madden
  • 22 May 2019
How to create your dream-home wishlist
Getty images

It’s happened to the best of us: you turn up to a house inspection on the hunt for a modern two-bedder with parking, but find yourself so enamoured by the home’s soaring period ceilings that all your pre-considered requirements fly out the pretty sash windows.

Compiling a prioritised wishlist will help separate your needs from your wants, and keep you on track in the search for your dream home.

Get visual

We’re not suggesting that manifestation is the answer to all your property aspirations, but visualisation is a savvy starting point. Envision your perfect home in all its glory – the size, the style, the suburb… Keep it semi-realistic (shelve your Tuscan villa pipedreams for now), but still think freely. This will help tap into your desires and get you thinking about how you want to live. Sure, ocean views may fall outside your budget, but perhaps you’d settle instead for easy access to a beach or bay. Scrawl down all your ideas to refer back to later.

How to create your dream-home wishlist
Charles 🇵🇭 on Unsplash

Go back to basics

Now it’s time to reel it in. What are the absolutely essential requirements for your home and lifestyle? Important considerations are the minimum number of bedrooms, minimum number of bathrooms and minimum size. Other must-haves might include a garden or deck, off-street parking or an internal laundry. Location may be paramount – perhaps you want to be within walking distance of your children’s school – or maybe you have your heart set on a certain cluster of suburbs. Also consider liveability: is renovating an option, or are you keen to find a home and move straight in? List these non-negotiables on a sheet of paper.

How to create your dream-home wishlist
Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Add the nice-to-haves

Below your must-haves, start noting down the features you deem appealing, but not essential. A walk-in wardrobe? You wouldn’t turn it down, but it’s not make or break. It might be the same for a pool. Interior features could also fall into this category – think hardwood flooring and stone countertops, as well as central air conditioning or a fireplace. Check in with your above-mentioned visualisation notes as you go, picking out the elements that are enticing, but also attainable.

How to create your dream-home wishlist
Annette O'Brien

Consult the experts

Finally, round out your list with a little expert intel. The agents at real estate organisation Century 21 will share some “value” items to consider tacking onto your list. As the name suggests, these are features that will add value to your property over time. Think a great bathroom, dual-pane windows, or close proximity to top schools. While these items shouldn’t take over your wants and wishes, they’re nevertheless worth keeping in mind as you navigate the inspection circuit (now armed with a handy priority list, so you never swerve off course again!)

You might also like:

5 savvy finance tips for homebuyers and property owners

4 tips to sell your home

These are Australia’s up-and-coming suburbs

Kathryn Madden
Kathryn Madden
With a weakness for words and an eye for style, Kathryn spends her days writing about everything from furnishings to fashion and feminism. Currently the Features Editor of Marie Claire magazine, her work can also be found in Home Beautiful, InStyle, Grazia and Qantas.

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Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

How to spot a suburb that’s about to take off

How to spot a suburb that’s about to take off

The 10 worst suburbs to buy property in 2020

The 10 worst suburbs to buy property in 2020

The golden rules of marketing your property for sale

The golden rules of marketing your property for sale

Australia's most expensive suburb is not in Sydney or Melbourne

Australia's most expensive suburb is not in Sydney or Melbourne

{headline}

{headline}

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5 savvy finance tips for homebuyers and property owners

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4 things most people forget to check when they buy property

Survey reveals nice lawns improve property values by up to $100K

Survey reveals nice lawns improve property values by up to $100K

{headline}

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These are Australia’s up-and-coming suburbs

These are Australia’s up-and-coming suburbs

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4 signs that a property isn’t worth buying

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5 key things that will help sell your home

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Practical advice on when to buy and when to sell property

This is what the Australian dream home looks like in 2018

This is what the Australian dream home looks like in 2018

Are duplexes the new Granny flat?

Are duplexes the new Granny flat?

Aussie house values are plummeting

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