How to Get Everything You Want in a Home

In this 8-part series, How to Find the Perfect Home for You and Your Budget, I’m walking you through how to find a home that truly fits your lifestyle, your needs, and most importantly, your budget.

The goal is simple: help you make smart decisions, avoid buyer’s remorse, and set yourself up financially for your next home too. Because let’s be honest, your first home is usually a stepping stone, not your forever home. Doing it right now makes moving up later a whole lot easier.

So far, you’ve:

• Figured out a monthly budget
• Narrowed down a location
• Identified what you want in a home

And yet… you still haven’t gone house hunting.

That might sound backwards, but it’s actually exactly how this process should work.

Before you ever step foot into an open house, you need clarity around all three of those things. Skipping this step is how buyers end up overwhelmed, or worse, in the wrong home.

If you need a refresher, go back and check out these earlier articles:

• The “Backwards” Method That Actually Makes Financing Your First Home Easier
• Are You a “House” or a “Location” Person?
• Questions to Answer Before You Step Foot in an Open House

The Big Three That Drive Your Home Search

Budget, location, and criteria are deeply connected. You don’t find the “perfect” home by maxing out all three, you find it by understanding how they work together and where you can be flexible.

Here’s your homework before you start house hunting:

• Know your specifics for budget, location, and criteria
• Understand how changing one affects the others (this part is key)

Once you grasp that connection, the process becomes much clearer, and way less frustrating.

The 3 Buckets: Budget, Location, and Criteria

Think of your home search like three buckets sitting on a scale:

1. Budget
2. Location
3. Criteria (things like size, number of bedrooms, condition, how long you plan to live there, etc.)

Each detail you care about fits into one of these buckets.

The buckets don’t have to weigh the same, but together, they need to balance. That balance is what people mean when they talk about “getting in alignment.”

Fill the Buckets in the Right Order

Order matters here, and this is where many buyers go wrong. The correct order is:

1. Budget
2. Location
3. Criteria

Start with your monthly payment, not a purchase price. Then look at how much cash you have available. Take that information to your lender and agent so they can help determine your price range.

Most people do this backwards, they pick a price first and then figure out what the payment looks like. That approach often leads to homes that feel too expensive or don’t truly fit your life.

Trust this process. It works.

Once your budget bucket is set, don’t change it right away. First, see where you can adjust location or criteria.

Next up is location. Ask yourself:

• Where do I want to live, and why?
• What about this area really matters to me?

For example, if walkability or a shorter commute is important, there may be neighborhoods that meet those needs, even if they weren’t your first choice. Many first-time buyers run into this exact situation when trying to balance commute times with affordability.

If you’re more of a “house person,” you may be able to be more flexible with location in exchange for the features you care most about.

Finally, focus on criteria. What do you need in this home? How long do you plan to live there? What kind of lifestyle do you want during that time?

By now, all three buckets should be filled.

Alignment Is Where the Magic Happens

Now it’s time to make sure the buckets are balanced.

If your budget is firm and your location is non-negotiable, then criteria is where you adjust. That might mean considering a fixer-upper, a smaller layout, or a different bedroom configuration, options that allow you to stay in your ideal area without stretching your budget.

See how one bucket always affects the others?

This organized approach might sound a little methodical, but it works. The give-and-take is normal, and it’s how buyers land in homes they actually love.

Still Feeling Stuck?

If you’re feeling frustrated, come back to the three buckets. Ask yourself:

• What can I be flexible on?
• Do I really need everything on my list in this first home?

Also think about how long you plan to live there. That timeline can bring a lot of clarity, especially when deciding how important things like schools, space, or upgrades really are right now.

And speaking of schools… that’s exactly what we’ll talk about next.

You now know how to align your three buckets so you can confidently start house hunting with purpose.

Next up in the series: What You Need to Know When Buying for Schools, even if you don’t have kids. Stay tuned!