Why should you have a hard and fast list of absolute must haves? Well as you see more and more people and they give you their opinion… and trust me “everyone is an expert” in the real estate field! They will try and persuade you from what you actually want. You will hear everything from “you won’t get that with your budget”, “you may need to compromise on…” to “do you really need that?”
After all Real Estate agents are trained in the art of negotiation and persuasion. And top on the list is the art of pointing out the benefits of the property. This is to distract you from features that are lacking, or not quite within your wish list.
A great way to stay on track and form your absolute Non Negotiables in your next property purchase is the following simple exercise below:
Write your top 10 features you would like in a property (or more if needed) down the left hand side of a piece of paper. Followed by a tally column on the right hand side.
For ease you can download the above pre-populated work sheet/template off this website here: The Property Buyers Guide by Simply Altruism_My Wish List vs Absolute Must Haves FORM
Example
| Wish List | Tally |
| 4 Bedrooms | |
| Main Bathroom | |
| Pool | |
| 2 Car Garage | |
| Ensuite | |
| Outdoor Entertainment Area | |
| Views | |
| Study | |
| New/Updated Kitchen | |
| Close to Work | |
| Close to Schools |
And the list can go on but you get the idea.
Now rank each against each other until you get a clear indication of your Non Negotiables in a property. Starting with #1 vs #2 and repeating this down the page. Next start again but with #2 vs the rest followed by #3 vs the rest as in the below example.
Example
| Wish List | Tally |
| 4 Bedrooms | IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII |
| Main Bathroom | IIII |
| Pool | IIIIII |
| 2 Car Garage | IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII |
| Ensuite | IIIIIII |
| Outdoor Entertainment Area | IIIIIIIIIIIIIII |
| Views | III |
| Study | IIIIIIIIIIIIII |
| New/Updated Kitchen | IIIIIIIIII |
| Close to Work | IIIIIIIII |
| Close to Schools | IIIIIIIIIII |
As you can see in this scenario when looking for your next property the top 5 “Non Negotiables” are:
4 bedrooms, a 2 car garage followed by outdoor entertainment area, study and just sneaking in; close to schools.
These now form the basis of your search with everything else a bonus. The reason for the hard and fast list is so that nobody should persuade you from your goals. Because anything else is simply settling! 😉
Don’t forget to visit our “Tips & Blog” page for further information on all things Real Estate! And why not download the FREE “The Property Buyers Guide App” while you’re at it 😉