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As you look at homes, the more information you collect, the more data points you'll have when you sit down to compare properties. You probably won't buy a home based solely on your checklists - gut feelings and emotions will come into play. Most likely, you'll have a positive impression of a couple of homes that seem like good candidates. If you're buying a home with someone else - your spouse or a partner, for example - sit down and talk about your impressions. You may or may not be in sync. Pull out your notes, photos, and checklists to support your impressions as you try to reach consensus.
Use your checklists to compare features and amenities. Try this: Create a spreadsheet and label the far-left column Address. In that column, list the homes you're considering. Moving right, fill in the top row with amenities and features you identified as important in your wish list. For each house, type in a 2 for each "must have" feature the house possesses or a 1 for each "would like" feature. If the house is missing a feature, leave the cell blank. After you fill in the spreadsheet, add up the numbers for each house. The one with the highest sum comes closest to fulfilling your wish list. That doesn't mean it's the house you'll buy. There are other factors to weigh, such as price, location, and how the home feels to you, but the spreadsheet helps you sort through the information you collect and look at it objectively.
As you compare homes, consider this: Shopping for a home is a lot like dating. It can be fun, and you might fall in love. But buying a home is more like a marriage: After the honeymoon, you've got to settle down to the business of living with your choice. Keep that long-term commitment in mind as you visit, inspect, and compare homes.
