My fiancé and I just got approved for a mortgage and are starting our search for a home tomorrow. I've been running my business from a two bedroom apartment for about 7 years so I am beyond thrilled to be upgrading, however I'm a bit overwhelmed. I currently live right by a large hospital and a home depot call center that employs thousands, so I always have a wait list. We can't afford to buy a home in this area though so I will be starting from scratch wherever we end up. The further we move from Atlanta the more we'll get from our money, but I'm concerned if we get to rural that it may be a challenge to get clients.

My fiancé doesn't seem to have much of an opinion. Everything I show him online gets the same response-"I like it", "that one's nice", or my personal favorite "it's a house". I showed him a photo of a tiny 1 bedroom home that needs to be gutted and rebuilt and he said "sure if you like it, it's nice".

I know I'd like to find a home where the daycare could be in a separate area, like a finished basement or bonus room. I'm also looking for something with a flat backyard. Does anyone have any tips for how to narrow my search beyond that? If you were starting over in a new home what would you look for? Would you go for a smaller/older home to be closer to the city? Could I be successful in a rural area? I appreciate any thoughts you all may have.

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I say take that one. Look at the positive side. You can rebuild exactly the way you like.

Apparently he doesn't care what house or where. Must mean all he cares about is being with you. Maybe you need to talk to him about the plans and ask if he can help with the decision.

As for where, what about searching to find out what the needs are in different areas. In general, more population is better, but smaller areas may not have any local daycare.

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For some they don't see the quirks in a house or know what they really want or don't want until they start walking through houses. Keep a list of things that you begin to find are important and then prioritize them.

#bedrooms, #bathrooms, garage, fenced yard, 2 story or bungalow, size of driveway, near good schools, near shopping, workable daycare space, how much sunlight, etc.

Solid bones on a house are more important than how pretty it looks.

If a realtor is helping you look they can help narrow things down by your list.

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Keep in mind how much square footage you need per child, indoors and outdoors.

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I'd recommend buying a house that you could both afford independently of one another (one income at lowest income level), then go down the wish list item by item of importance to you.

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Thanks mike, I like your perspective on it I'll try to remember that when I start to get frustrated with his lack of feedback.

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THIS!

Affordability
Area- school districts, what is your preference? City/easy access to amenities or rural/more space?
Bones of the house- I literally DID NOT CARE what my house 'looked' like. I can paint, change flooring, etc


compromise- I wanted an older farm house. Dh said you can't have an older farm house with good bones in our price point.

We do not have a farm house.

It's been super fun to remodel around the great bones of our house, though.

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A lot of people move to the suburbs because it is too expensive to be in the City and most of those people are young families so there is a plus side to it. Some people like to have daycare close to home and some like to have it close to work. I have no doubt you can still attract clients. You might have more competition though.

I bought two homes with daycare in mind and it is really just about having lots of patience to find something that just works right away. I am not a fan of having to do a tremendous amount of work to make a home perfect because realistically who has the time or money for it.

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The only thing I have to offer is make house-hunting a fun experience. As you look at homes, you will gain more insight as to what you would like or not. Then if you find some in a certain area, check out local childcare needs. And as was mentioned, a realtor will be a big help when you bring your list of needs to them in what you're looking for.

My dd and her bf bought a house in NC during the holidays and I told her she needs to open a daycare because it's the perfect set-up. She didn't agree. Large sun room opens up to a large flat backyard, based right off the kitchen. My dc dream come true.

If I had a do-over I'd look for a place with a finished basement that would be suitable for the dc. Otherwise, it can take over your whole personal space. And as your own family grows, it only feels more invasive.

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I would look at the school districts as well. One of the reasons i think my daycare does so well is i"m right behind the elementary and middle schools. You can look up the school districts that are the most popular and that would help. Maybe also consider new construction. We had ours built and actually saved money than buying a "used" house. The builder paid our closing costs, threw in upgrades etc..
Do not rush on a house as well. Give it a lot of thought . Home buying is fun but also stressful!

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