Let’s be honest for a minute. The thought of buying a home probably terrifies you, right? It’s a big step, and one that can be intimidating and slightly scary, even if you’re fully informed and aware. And, unfortunately, there wasn’t room in the standard curriculum next to trigonometry and physics to teach most of us about home ownership and the many tasks that come with it. Luckily, we aren’t letting that fear stop us from planning to own homes. We value homeownership, but many of us are delaying the process until we’re ready. We’re also getting married, etc. later, so this should come as no surprise. But rent is steadily increasing, and with that, the idea of buying a home is looking better and better to many of us. Sure, it can be easy to pick the cheapest home or the one with the cute vintage decor, but home shopping is incredibly important and should be looked at through realistic and critical lenses. So if you’re taking that next step and researching homeownership, keep these nine things in mind as must-haves for your first home.

1. A high-quality home that’s the right size for you. Who needs giant rooms with space you won’t use? That’s just more room to clean, more space to heat and cool, etc. Look for spaces in a home that match your lifestyle and needs.

2. A flexible layout with room for creating memories. Long live the open floor plan — millennials don’t want to be boxed in, so find a layout that will suit your lifestyle. Beazer Homes, a national homebuilder with a presence in 17 cities, offers Choice Plans — a variety of room-specific floorplans to choose from that will cater to your lifestyle. Forget the boring idea of a cookie-cutter home.

3. Proximity to what you need. No, that doesn’t just mean millennials want to live in the “coolest,” trendiest cities. We want somewhere close to work and around well-performing school districts too. Who said you don’t know how to plan for the future? And if you aren’t looking to have kids anytime soon, proximity to work, etc. saves you (overpriced) gas money.

4. Energy-efficient appliances. They help the environment and they save YOU money in the long run. This is an investment you should be willing to make. Every Beazer home undergoes inspections to meet the EPAs ENERGY STAR requirements, and the average new Beazer home rates more than 30 points ahead of other new homes on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index.

5. Well-connected. Yes, this matters. Whether you just value your Netflix-and-chill time or you work from home, you’ll want to live somewhere that allows you to set up a reliable wifi network and to use your cell service flawlessly.

6. Updated bathrooms. Things in a bathroom are particularly pricey to replace, and you want to prevent as many additional expenses as possible when purchasing your first home.

7. Home office or flexible room for a small office space. More than 13 million Americans work from home, and you’ll want a designated space for that if you’re included in that number. Even if you have a normal office job, many millennials are brushing up on their side-hustles. You’ll need space to make our passion projects great in your free time, too.

must-haves for your first home — Photo: Courtesy of Beazer Homes

8. Low maintenance materials. Hardwood floors? Easy-to-clean counters? These things look nice and are much easier to maintain than having to scrub stains out of carpet. You’re busy. You want to ensure that we’re being as efficient as possible.

9. Transparency. No, not see-through curtains or glass walls (unless you’re looking for that). But you should feel like the information you seek regarding the history of the house, the neighborhood and the home-buying process is being given to you straight up. Yes, it’s very important that you educate yourself on the technical aspects of buying a home, but finding out info on such a large investment shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. If anyone involved is acting reserved or reluctant to share, take that as the red flag that it probably is.

If you keep these key factors in mind during your hunt for the perfect starter home, you’re sure to be happy with your purchase — no matter how scary it might have been to dive into the process.

What things were non-negotiables in your first home? Let us know in the comments below!

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