The Right Fit: how to choose the right-sized home for your needs

The size of a home is probably the very next thing on your mind right after the price. And it depends strongly on where you are in life: first home, a growing family, or downsizing after retirement. Buying a home that is the wrong fit can end up causing frustration and unhappiness. A home is like the rings in a tree or the layers in rock, it is a reflection and record of your history and changing circumstances.

Past, Present and Future

First Home: When buying your first home you may be single or married, but you rarely have children at this stage. Also finance may limit any grand ideas. The furthest your ambition may run is two bedrooms. At this time a bachelor pad might be perfect, or even a two-room flat. When you move up to three rooms, you are asserting your stamp on space and possession - because the more space you have to move around, the more powerful, relevant and established you begin to feel.

Career and Family: If you're clear about your career, future family, and lifestyle, you'll be able to gauge how much space you want to begin with, and what you'd like to achieve in the future - more home-office space perhaps, or a garden that will provide enough space for a swimming pool. When it's time to move on from your beginnings, you will know what you're looking for. Buying a house that becomes too small too soon (that unexpected baby!) can cause considerable stress if you're not in a position to sell and move on.

The Growth Phase: A growing family can present several problems - particularly if siblings don't get along and don't want to share a room. A separate TV room for youngsters may become strategically important, even a games room or space where homework and study can be done without disturbance. If the kitchen doesn't have enough space, or there aren't enough bathrooms, there can be a feeling of crowding and irritability that can become detrimental to relationships.

Too small, Too big, and then... Eventually, you have to move to bigger homes to accommodate your growing family and their needs. And you end up with a common problem as you retire - your house is way too big for two people to rattle around in! What you had envisioned as a place of peace as the children finish their education and move away, becomes a millstone of maintenance, repair and endless cleaning. Downsizing then becomes your priority, and then - even at this delicate stage - mistakes are made where you choose a new home that has three bedrooms and a big garden in case the children, possibly with their children in tow, come to stay.

Rooms and Land: In all these decisions lurks the two most important considerations: number of rooms and the size of the land. The number of rooms can certainly affect your lifestyle, and if the garden is too big or too small, you will either have problems with maintenance or the frustration of your children - or dogs for that matter. Give both of these aspects good thought before you purchase a property. What begins as your future will become your past; practicality, finance and lifestyle should be the cautious dictators of your decisions.  

Affordability: Sometimes it is all a matter of affordability - and buying any house you can afford that will accommodate your family is all you have in mind. But beware of honing your decision down to only a matter of money. There are ways to negotiate price and repayments. There are also clever ways to renovate or even cannily decorate to keep your family happy in a smaller than preferred space. Dividing a room, adding more cupboard space, building on a shower and toilet, turning the garage into a games room, and so on. Always keep the plan manageable until you can afford to make the next move. And always keep the costs of running a bigger home in mind.

Some key considerations

• When you're considering the size of your home, never forget the baggage. How much storage space are you going to need? Are you a collector, a hoarder? The gathering of 'stuff' over several years, even of an average family, can be considerable. Do you really need all that baggage - or the the space to keep it? Paying for extra space for unnecessary storage can be costly.
• Don't get starry-eyed about space if the space is poorly designed. You might only discover your mistake once you've moved in. Every square metre comes with a price tag, so don't fall for space that has no functionality. Is there room for all your furniture or are you going to have areas of 'dead' space? There are small homes that are so well designed there is room for everything, even good storage. And there are larger, often older homes where there is space but nowhere suitable for storage or children to play. Don't fall for appearances and useless empty space.
• How you will fit your furniture in your new home is important. Measure spaces, sizes and even consider colour schemes. Will your current styles fit? Will they look good in these new spaces and angles?
• Do you like having friends and family to stay? Will that extra guest bedroom be needed? Or are you paying for just another storage room? Be careful to evaluate lifestyle, necessity and affordability.
• The larger the home the more cleaning has to be done. This creates time and expense factors. Calculate costs and how busy a life you have. Having to spend hours cleaning many rooms and bathrooms is a real downside to the desire for better space.
• Kitchens are very relevant to those who like to cook - or those families who like to gather in what can be the most popular room in the house. Kitchens are serious considerations with regard to lifestyle, entertaining and family. If you're an out-eater and a microwave kind of person, forget the big kitchen.  
• If you are buying a house for a home or purely for resale value, there is a difference in approach. One hopes to be buying for both reasons. First home or last, we want our home to appreciate in value. Keep an eye on trends when buying. Your home is a significant investment and is often an underpinning value to both career and family.  

Budget, space, functionality, operating costs drive your life plan. Sometimes a home just 'feels right'. And not everything needs to fit to a plan to be satisfactory. A home should be where you feel happiest. Keep a list of factors in mind when changing homes, but always choose the home that provides the love and harmony that suits you and your family.

Leapfrog Property Group

Leapfrog Property Group offers a fresh and innovative approach to buying, selling, renting and property investments, ensuring the best property deals for clients across South Africa. Our agents are qualified, trained, experienced; our approach bold and spirited, driven by heart, generosity and honesty. It is our mission to advise,  eliminate obstacles and save you unnecessary expense. Trust is our watchword. And value our motto. Armed with our combined credentials, we are the bright face of excellence in the South African market.