What are the most basic amenities that you look for while buying a home?

This is what we looked for when we were just starting out fourteen years ago:

Quality and Condition: Get the house professionally inspected. Look for water damage, insect damage/infestation, condition of pipes, basement walls, condition of exposed wood in the attic, siding, window and door seals, etc.

Square Footage: Is there enough room to meet your needs.

Expandability: Find out from the city/town hall what your lot is zoned for. Could you add a second floor or expand/renovate in some other way down the road.

Price: Can I afford this monthly and how does it stack up against other houses in the neighborhood.

Were I buying a house now, I would also add:
• Location – Quality of Neighborhood
• Access to public transportation
• Quality of public school system
• Demographic of town/city

Location, location, location! Location is key for your ability to resell the property. The more desirable the location the easier it will be to sell. As @cprevite points out this location element is in relation to proximity to other desirable elements of the area. Then consider the affordability of the property in relation to surrounding property. Having the most expensive property will limit your ability to find a future buyer. Then age and condition of the property and its main components. Find a good buyers agent who is expert in the area of where you want to purchase the property and let them be your guide.

The neighborhood. Is your house suitable for the neighborhood? You don’t want a house that is too big or grand for the neighborhood.

The lot. Is is easy to care for? Does it have a fenced back yard?

Is the neighbor handsome??That counts for alot when you’re looking in windows ;)

After living in a crap hole for 5 years, I’ve decided that there are a few requirements for our next home. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for.

1. No doors will open into other doors, banging together and getting stuck together at the knob and scratching the doors all up.
2. At least one window in the kitchen and preferably one in the main bathroom.
3. Somewhat of a yard.
4. A basement with separate entrance, or place to build a one-room workspace for my future business.

I bought it close to family so I could be there quick for aunt and uncle. Then found out a friend grew up in this house. Fireplace. Dishwasher.

Great neighborhood. Everybody waves…...

What we looked for was this:
*2 full bathrooms (including their own loos)
*double garage (undercover parking not good enough)
*quiet street, and not close to a school or shopping centre or factory or anything noisy (i value quiet)
*main bathroom must be en-suite and must have a separate shower and bath (although the one we got now only has a bath and the second bathroom has a shower and a bath, bummer, BUT the main bathroom had a reasonably big tub and it’s a very nice bathroom)
*swimming pool
*garden
*stand alone, full title house (no flats, no stacks, no security estates)
*3 bedrooms
*at least 2 living rooms
*solid wall built around the property (pallisade fencing not good enough, i value privacy)
*more upmarket neighbourhood, also i have to like the “vibe” of the neighbourhood.

That’s all i can think of now, but those are the absolute minimums.

Oh yes, the house also must be ready to live in, i don’t want to spend money to get it looking decent before i even move in. Little touch ups are fine, but nothing big.

We bought a money pit 16 years ago for the location. The stress of having to fix things all the time is too much for us now. Ideally, we would look for location, and a home that does not need a lot of work. A window in the kitchen would also be nice, like @ubersiren pointed out. We don’t have one in ours, and it can make for a very warm kitchen if you don’t have central air. I hate staring at a wall when doing dishes too. :/

I don’t think i’ve ever seen a house without a kitching in a window. I took that for granted, but obviously i would not even consider buying such a house either.

Lots of windows and a fireplace.

Neighborhood location, school district, zip code. Location is still the thing.

@Dutchess_III—That’s exactly what I wanted – and got – when I bought our rental. We had to spend extra to have the fireplace brought up to code, just before the county passed an ordinance against fireplaces, and all the windows had to be replaced because they were the old fashion breakable glass.

amenities: fireplace, nice appliances up to date, real wood floors and some nice tile and carpet, nice light fixtures, at least two baths,
2 living areas is really nice, attractive landscaping, pretty master bath preferably with jacuzzi tub which I can’t spell, not too dark inside, pretty, quiet neighborhood, at least 2K sq ft, two car attached garage mandatory , not too far from stores (I keep missing this one) if you call that an amenity, nice office with window, 2 dining areas is mandatory.

I was looking for quality more than quantity, and things that couldn’t easily be added later, like fireplaces and a nice deck. Good neighborhood is essential. Liking the floor plan and style of the house was also important.