Make a Moving Checklist

You’ve found your dream home, now it’s time to move in and put your personal stamp on it. Make the process as stress-free and organized as possible by starting early and keeping close tabs on the details. A simple search online for such terms as “kitchen remodel” or "dream decks" will arm you with all the information you’ll need.  Pinterest is a great place to start making folders for pictures that may give you the ideas as to how you want that project to look when you are done. 

It’s Ok to Dream

When you are out there trying to find a house that is perfect for you and your family, it’s a good idea to prepare a list of all your needs, wants, and don’t-wants. Yes, an open mind is helpful when shopping for a house, condo or townhome, but you don’t need to compromise on the things you truly care about. Prioritize your top 5 “must-have” qualities in a home, your top 5 “like to have” qualities, and your top 5 “we absolutely don’t want” qualities, and take the list with you when you go house shopping. You will be able to quickly eliminate homes that don’t fit your needs and wants, and also be able to spot the homes that deserve some greater attention. 

Finances, Finances, Finances

When you are buying a home, you may be thinking “location, location, location” or “granite countertops", but before you can start having fun shopping around, you have to do a little work to get yourself ready financially. Begin your home-buying process by cleaning up your credit report and credit score and you will be able to start off on a solid financial foundation.  If you plan on getting a mortgage, be ready to provide a pre-approval letter from your financial institution.

Picture Yourself

Before you buy a home, you may do a lot of daydreaming about what life there will be like, relaxing by the wood-burning fireplace or enjoying that awesome mountain view. But to know what it will really be like, you’ll have to picture yourself doing the everyday things.  Although we have a great general mercantile, multiple restaurants, hiking/biking and recreation on Beech Mountain, the nearest grocery chain stores, churches and gas stations are in Banner Elk, which is a 10-20 minute drive.  A number of theatre arts options and 'big box' stores are available in Banner Elk, Boone and Johnson City.  The trade off is that you can live in a quiet, friendly village and drive to the places that you occasionally need to go.  These are things you’ll want to consider before you move in.