4 Basic Mortgage Questions 4 Reasons To Avoid Foreclosures New Home Vocabulary Made Easy

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BUYING VS. RENTING

Paying too much? Rent is up and homes prices are down.

RIGHT HOME,RIGHT PRICE

3 Simple steps find your perfect new home.

DESIGN CENTERTIPS & TRICKS

Build your dream home with style.

UNDERSTANDINGFLOOR PLANS

How to make every room your special place.

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IN THIS ISSUE

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FINDING THE PERFECT HOME AT THE PERFECT PRICE 2.

BUYING VS. RENTING: WITCH IS RIGHT FOR YOU? 4.

4 RESONS TO AVOID FORCLOSED HOMES 5.

UNDERSTANDING FLOOR PLANS 6.

NEW HOME VS. USED HOME 8.

WRITING YOUR DREAMS DOWN ON PAPER 10.

CHOOSING THE PERFECT HOME-SITE 12.

DESIGN STUDIO SURVIVAL GUIDE 14.

When walking through a model home the sales counselor will say things like "per-sonal selection," "luxury selection," "upgrade," Non-Standard Options (NSO) or Personal Selection Addendum (PSA). These are all terms that refer to upgrades that are not included in the price of the home. Ask the sales counselor to clearly indicate which upgrades are included.

1.

Now that you´ve decided that it´s time to buy a new home where do you start? A great place to begin is to sit down and determine how much home you can afford and what it takes to purchase a home. Buying a new is home is an easy and exciting process once you know your perfect price!

What Does a New Home Cost? One question that seldom gets asked before you start shopping is "What does a new home cost"? The first thing to do is clear up the confusion that exists between the price of a home and the cost of a home! The price of new homes in most cities gener-ally ranges from the low $100,000´s to several million dollars. Since very few people buy houses for cash, you´ll most likely be getting a loan (mort-gage) for your home and paying a monthly payment, so the price of a home and the monthly cost of a home are two very different things. Most of us will concentrate on how well a monthly payment fits into our family budget. Depending on your loan´s interest rate, new home monthly payments range between .75% to somewhere around 1.15% of the purchase price of the home. So, on a $200,000 home your monthly payment could range from $1,500 to $2,300 every month. You´ll also have to add insurance and local taxes to this number to get the final payment. One way to dramatically reduce your down payment is to put more money down on your home. The bigger the down payment, the lower your monthly payments will be.

How Much Money is Required Upfront? There is some upfront money you´ll need to collect to purchase your new home. The down payment is the amount of money you´ll need to provide at the onset of the transaction. A down payment demonstrates your ability to obtain funds to start the transaction and insures the lending institution that there is some collateral they can retain in the event that that you default on the loan. A down payment will be between 3% and 20% of the purchase price of your home.

Putting as much money down as you can on a new home has a dramatic effect on your monthly home payment because it reduces the amount of the loan and will most likely get you a lower interest rate. These two factors along could save you hundreds of dollars each month. You´ll also need to have to pay closing costs. These costs include attorney´s fees, brokerage commissions, title service cost, recording fees, survey fees, mortgage, appraisal and inspec-tion fees and some taxes and home owner´s associa-tion dues, if applicable. These costs will total between 1% and 8% of the total price of the home, though they generally total between 2-3%.

2.

“Hot On! Homes was really critical for us finding the exact community that we wanted with the amenities that we wanted and ending up with a builder that we wanted.”

- Ashley Dobbs Joined & Found her home with hotohomhomes.com

A lot premium is the price the builder has placed on that particular homesite. Some homesites are more desirable than others. Homesites that feature spectacular views, privacy or additional acreage are going to be more expensive than some other spots with elements that shrink its appeal. Choosing the spot on your street to build your new home is just another reason why buying new is better.

How Much Should I Put Down? There are some quick "rules of thumb" which can get you in the ballpark, but should not replace a detailed meeting with your financial analyst. Most people can afford a home priced at three times their annual household income. If you have little or no debt, and can put 20% down on your home, you may be able to afford a home valued at 4X your annual income. Finally, you´ll need to show the bank that you´ve got a solid employment history.

With the increasing price of rental property today, getting a house at the above prices is a great deal, but new home builders are consistently sweetening new home deals with steep discounts and very aggressive incentives. If you can find a home that has a builder discount or special included, you´ll do even better. Builders are also often willing to assist with your closing costs, and may have their own mortgage companies that will help you through the process. It´s always a good thing to start working with a mortgage company as soon as possible on your purchase so they can exhaust all avenues to make sure you get the best deal on your new home.

Finding the perfect home starts with finding the perfect payment!

Find more articles at hotonhomes.com

3.

BUYING VS. RENTING Which is Right for You?

Many new home shoppers wonder if renting is better than buying. This is an especially important question today because the challenges facing the mortgage industry over the past few years have pushed many families into apartments. Just a few years ago there was a fairly wide gap between the monthly cost of a new home mortgage and an apartment. But today, as apartment complexes have filled, rents have risen too. In most urban areas the cost of renting has passed the monthly cost of owning a home. Even as home prices rise, low interest rates keep the price cheaper then renting as much as 38% on average.*

Trulia’s Chief Economist Jed Kolko wrote, “Now, at a 30-year fixed rate of 4.5%, buying is 38%

cheaper than renting nationally” and “Buying beats renting until mortgage rates hit 10.6%.”*

As home prices raise, the money you could be saving by moving into your dream home is decreasing. Now is the best time to stop paying the landlord and start paying into your new home.Equity is another strong reason to buy instead of rent. Equity is the difference between how much a property is worth and how much is owed on it. You pull the equity out in cash when you sell the home. As long as home prices are going up in your neighborhood you should see a good value in the long run for what you pay into a home. If you´re renting a property, the landlord gets the equity when he sells. Owning a home is the best

way for most of us to increase our personal wealth.

Buying a home is one the biggest decisions that many of us will make and we all want to choose the option that suits us and our family best. Evaluating the cost of buying a new home versus renting or leasing and taking a careful look at the tax benefits of new home ownership should help us clarify the choice. As rents continue to rise, more and more families are choosing to leave crowded apartment complexes and move into new homes. Today might just be the right day to stop growing your landlord´s wealth and start growing your own!

*Trulia 2014 Winter Report.

4.

WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IS WHAT YOU

GET.

What you get when you buy a foreclosed property is whatever the borrower leaves behind. Meaning that there could be sever-al months of neglect as the previous owners ran low on money. Many of the symptoms of neglect are not easily visible to the untrained eye, and can be very costly to fix. With many foreclosed properties, what you don't see is often what you get.

STANDARDREPAIRS

ARE LIKELY.

Banks aren't in the home repair business. Fore-closed homes will proba-bly need some standard repairs for which you'll be responsible. You may need to get several things done before you're comfortable moving into the home, such as replac-ing carpet, paint, refin-ishing wood floors and servicing the A/C and Heating system.

THE PRICE OF ENERGY

INEFFICIENCY.

Energy efficiency is also an important reason to stay away from fore-closed properties. Even those homes that were built just a few years ago don't have the energy saving features of homes that are being built today. A low price on a home may not look so good when you realize that you're going to have utility bills that are a few hundred dollars higher per month.

COSTS OF A FORECLOSER ARE NEVER WHAT THEY SEEM.

Finally, the cost of a foreclosed property is never what it seems. When you work in all the additional expenses associated with a foreclosed property, it doesn't seem like such a great deal after all. In addition, financing for a foreclose requires more money up front (sometimes the total price.) Banks are more hesitant to finance a home full of question marks.

4 REASONS TO AVOIDFORECLOSED HOMES!

5.

Once you've selected the community that perfectly fits the life you want for your family, it's time to look at floor plans. There are a few things to keep in mind once you start looking at plans that help you get more confident and will make this process a fun and exciting one that will help you make the perfect choice.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there is a huge difference between the front of a home (the "elevation") and the arrange-ment of rooms inside. Builders usually have several different "elevations" that will work with different floor plans, so don't worry too much about the outside of your home.

The reasons you've decided to buy a new home are elements that are important for you to incorporate into your new home. Telling the new home counselor about the reasons will help them eliminate some plans. If you've decided that you need at least four bedrooms, the sales counselor will remove all the three bedroom plans from consideration. In a process called “discov-ery” the sales representative will ask you questions to determine the best plans to present to you with. They will try and learn everything they can about how you want to live in your new home and help you make the best choice.

Very often, the model home becomes the most popular in the community. This happens for several reasons. First, the model home is often a signature or very popular design. Second, the model home plan is often the easiest see and the sales person doesn't have to "paint a picture" for you. Third, the best sales person will listen to what you want and then make the model fit those needs. This isn't necessarily a bad approach, as the reason that these plans became popular in the first place was because they met the needs of so many fami-lies. Great sales people will listen to your needs and have a few floor plans in mind as they walk you through the model to show you some signature elements of that build-er's homes.

Once you find three or four new home plans that fit your lifestyle. The first thing to do is to arrange the plan so that you can easily locate the front door on each. Then the sales person will help you compare them.

The sales person may say, “As you enter through the eight foot mahogany door with beveled glass, a $1,200 feature that is included as standard in this community, you'll see a beautiful dining room to your right and an private home office to your left. The dining room is 12 feet by 16 feet, has a 12 foot high ceiling with recessed lighting.

6.

You mentioned that a formal dining room was important to you because your home is where the family gathers for every holiday. This is an oversized room that joins the kitchen through this short hallway so you're never far away. How does that sound?"

The sales person should take you through the entire home in this manner. While the they paint a picture of the floor plan, don't be afraid of writing names of who will have particular rooms. This will help you discover how "right" this plan is for you. Don't feel bad about making emotional commitments to what you find is the wrong floor plan. At this point you're not obligated to buy anything. Do this with a few home plans then you'll absolutely know when the right one comes along.

Many floor plans are not drawn to scale and thus may slightly misrepresent the home. Also, if the floor plan doesn't have room measurements, ask for the dimensions and mark them down on the plan. A couple of measurements to keep in mind are twin beds (3.5'), queen bed (7') king bed (8'), washer (3X3'), couch (3.5 X 7'). If you have any odd shaped furniture, such as antiques, measure it and make sure it fits in the new home. You'll also want to inquire about any storage space the plan offers that isn't indi-cated on the plan itself. Finally, clarify the meaning of any symbols that appear on the floor plan that you don't understand.

The sales counselor maybe able to show you what your floor plan looks like by taking you to a similar home in the commu-nity. If the builder is selling you one floor plan but demonstrating another, listen very carefully and take notes. Also get the floor plan of the home you're walking, lay the two plans side by side and take note of any differences before you start to walk around. If the rooms are unfurnished they look slightly smaller than those that are furnished. While you may not be able to imaging what a 12 by 12 foot bedroom looks like on paper, you will once you're standing in the middle of one.

Taking time to carefully go over the floor plans will not only greatly increase your comfort level with this part of the home buying process, but make you confident you’re making the right choice.

7.

At first glance, there seems to be one big reason to buy a new home instead of a used home: it´s new! Most of us like new things like cars, clothes and shoes! The real benefits of purchasing a new home lie just below the surface.

The biggest reason to buy a new home, especially if you´re currently renting, is pride of ownership. Stepping out of an apartment or leased property and into your own home is the first step toward building your personal or family wealth. For most families, their home and other real estate holdings account for as much as 84% of their total wealth. Buying a home gives you the peace of mind that you´re doing the right thing for your family, gives your children a place to set roots and grow up in and lets you start making the memories you and your family will hold for years to come. In addition to the good home ownership does for your heart, it makes sense for your head and bank account too!

The second reason to buy a new home is purchasing power. Today you´ll get more home for the money than you did as recently as a few years ago! The recent glut of developed home sites

coupled with relatively few builders capable of building homes on them has made home sites less expensive. Lower home site cost means you´ll spend less on the same size home sitting on that lot than you would two years ago. Also, the cost oflabor in some areas has fallen, and builders have passed these savings on to you. Finally, builders with available inventory have gotten very aggres-sive in their base pricing, upgrade pricing and many are offering significant new home discounts and home buyer incentives saving you thousands.

Energy efficiency is the third reason to purchase a new home. Comparing the energy saving features in today´s homes like radiant barri-er, programmable thermostats, added insulation, vinyl windows and the higher SEER air condition-ing and heating systems can save 30-40% on utility bills compared to a used home that was built as recently as four or five years ago. This benefits

8.

1. Pride of Ownership 2. Purchasing Power 3. Energy Efficiency 4. Neighborhood Amenities 5. Built Near Schools 6. Safety 7. New Security Systems 8. Technological Connectivity 9. Lower Maintenance Cost 10. Exciting Style & Design Options

you in several ways. You´ll have more money each month to save or spend on things like vacations or education. You may decide to use those monthly savings to get a bigger or better home. Every $100 per month increase in your mortgage payment allows you to get $20,000 more new home! Also, when it comes time to sell your home, these energy saving features will become very important. In five years buyers will expect energy saving features in their home purchases, new or used, and refitting a home that doesn´t have these features could cost thousands. Energy saving features are standard in new homes today and can save you thousands of dollars a year.

Neighborhood amenities are the fourth reason to buy a new home. Today´s neighborhoods are carefully designed with your lifestyle in mind. Many communities feature amenity centers, pools or splash parks, workout rooms, theaters and family fun nights all designed to improve the quality of a family´s life. These lifestyle elements not only enhance your life, but will make your home easier to sell when the time comes for your next new home.

Today´s new homes are also often built near new schools. These new schools often have a strong community identity, are often staffed by neighborhood residents and many times have exceptional funding and modern facilities and equip-ment. The student body draws heavily from the neighborhood and sending your children to these new schools prepares them both socially and academically for their future. Nearby schools also create resale value and can accelerate the sale of your home when you´re ready to move. Schools are the fifth great reason to buy a new home!

Safety is the sixth reason to purchase a new home. Today´s new codes insure that your new home will be built out of the safest building materials available today. These new highly developed "green building" materials will save you money, will not harm your family or the environment and help you with resale in the future. Today´s building codes regarding struc-ture, plumbing, venting and electrical wiring also insure that your home is being built using the safest techniques urrently known, giving you the peace of mind that you´re giving your family the

safest and most secure environment available today.

Other reasons to purchase a new home instead of a used home include the new security systems available or included in many new homes, the technological connectivity that is wired into today´s homes, the lower maintenance cost of new homes today and finally, the exciting style and design options you´ll enjoy in your new home. We´ve all known for years that new is better than used- now we just have a few more reasons why!

Read more at hotonhomes.com

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you've always wanted? Write it down. How about more privacy? Write them all down. You should add details like granite countertops, hard wood floors, ideas on kitchen detail, or luxury items like a spa tub. Don’t be shy, the only mistake you can make is leaving something important off the list.

Identify Your Why.On the right side of the paper write

"Why." Beside every want write the reason that particular element is important to you. You may want a nursery downstairs because you want to hear the baby at night. You want to live in a good school district because your oldest child starts kindergarten in the fall. Think about each thing you want and give it a reason. And sometimes, just wanting it is good enough. Writing these things down will help you crystalize each of these things in your mind. Once you've done this leave it alone for a week.

Identify the Reasons You Want to Move.Take a few pieces of blank paper and

write "Our New Home" at the top of the page. Below it write, “We're buying a new home because…” Then, fill in the blank with the reasons you've decided to move. This list will help you define what you want in a dream home. For example if you listed a new baby, it would have all sorts of factors from room size, proximity to a park or how far away grandma’s house is. But list all your reasons that you can think of, not just big life changes.

Identify Your Wants.Now that you've got your reasons for

moving, you'll list what you want in your new home. Title this list, "Things I Want in My New House." For example; would you like a bigger master bedroom, a large front yard, porch, or a big living room? Write it down. Ready for that gourmet chef's kitchen

Wants, Needs & Must Haves in your New Home.To help ensure that you end up with the house of your dreams, start by writing your dreams down on paper. Here are some suggestions to help you identify your wants, needs and must haves, in your new home.

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upgraded appliances (stainless steel rather than the white washer and dryer that is included), design work in the tile, special upgraded cabinets, that interesting double sided fireplace or the sunken garden tub with spa jets. Very often builders offer deco-rative stone treatments on the elevation of a home or on the fireplaces, this may fall into your "wants" list. Generally, "wants" are not deal breakers in the same way that "must haves" and "needs" are. Your "wants" are also where much of your negotiating with the builder will occur, especially if you've been clear about your "must haves" and "needs".

The best way to make sure that you get everything that is important to you in your new home is to clearly understand what you must have, what you need and what you want in your new home and clearly indicate that to your builder as you begin your new home search. But, it all starts with you and a sheet of paper.

Prioritize Your List.Once a week has passed, pick up the list

again and go over it. Remove anything that you really didn't want, and add whatever items you'd like to add. Then prioritize each one starting with the number one. Once prioritized, we’ll divide the list in to three parts: Must Haves, Needs, and Wants.

Your Must Haves.Your “must haves” are the things you

will not compromise on in your new home. Generally items such as blue ribbon schools, safety, proximity to work or play, number of bedrooms and home office can fall within the "must have" category. Some other items that can fall into this category are gated community, an oversized lot, large open kitchen or the master bedroom must be downstairs. You'll be able to eliminate all the communities or builders which do not meet your "must have" list.

Your Needs.Your "needs" are things you shouldn't

have to compromise on, but you could. Items like wood floors, granite in the kitch-en, walk in closet, energy saving features, pool, oversized children's bedrooms, media room, workshop, three car garage etc. Most of these things you may have to compromise on a little. Such as the quality of granite, which is available in several grades, or the quantity of an item, such as wood floors throughout the home. If you have to give up too many of these, you may be in the wrong community or may need to take a close look at your list. Your Wants.

Your "wants" list will include items like upgraded faucets or lighting packages,

11.

The biggest reason to buy a new home, especially if you´re currently renting, is pride of ownership. Stepping out of an apartment or leased property and into your own home is the first step toward building your personal or family wealth. For most families, their home and other real estate holdings account for as much as 84% of their total wealth. Buying a home gives you the peace of mind that you´re doing the right thing for your family, gives your children a place to set roots and grow up in and lets you start making the memories you and your family will hold for years to come. In addition to the good home ownership does for your heart, it makes sense for your head and bank account too!

The second reason to buy a new home is purchasing power. Today you´ll get more home for the money than you did as recently as a few years ago! The recent glut of developed home sites

The site you choose will play a major role in determining how you enjoy your new home.

enough to accommodate traffic, but narrow enough to discourage speeding? All these are critical evaluations you'll make as you drive through each community. Remember, if it bothers you a little at this point, it will bother you a lot the longer you live in the home.

Premium Lots.Be aware that when buying or

building a new home the cost of the homesite may not be included in the "list price" of a new home. While the new home sales counselor is talking about the available homesites in the community, you'll hear the terms "homesite premium," or "lot premium." These terms mean building your home on one of these sites will cost more than other homesites.

Often, when a builder or

of town you'd like to live in. Then you narrow it down to the communities using critical criteria such as schools, travel times, and proximity to your job, friends or family. Generally, you'll drive through a community at least once prior to walking into a model. These drive troughs are important to discovering the look and feel of a community while you determine if it's the right fit.

Try driving through on both a weekend and during the week, as the personality of the community may be different. Look for things like homesite size, community cleanliness, neighbor activities and parking. Characteristics such as front, rear or side entry entrance garages make a huge difference in community appearance. How far apart are the houses and how close to the street are they? Are the streets wide

One unique part of buying your new home is the homesite upon which you'll build. In any given community, development or neighborhood, builders will be selling a selection of six to ten floor plans, four to five elevations (the way the exterior of the house appears from the front.)

Builders regulate the number and placement of each floor plan and elevation to make sure that identical homes are not placed side by side or across the street from each other. This helps avoid a "cookie cutter-like" appearance to the neighborhood. It also helps home values for resale in the future by limiting the number of homes that may directly compete with each other.

Narrow Down Your Search.The first step of narrowing

your search is decided what part

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developer purchases a piece of land, they know corner lots, oversized homesites, sites with privacy, additional trees, great views are in demand and will raise the price. Generally a builder will have a good selection of attractive homesites that range in price from zero to thousands of dollars depending on the characteristics of the property. Unique homesites will not only add to your quality of life, but when you're ready to sell your home it will add to your resell value. Don't despair if you've found a perfect lot that comes with a premium, the cost a builder charges you for a premium lot is negotiable and you may get your perfect home-site for less than you think!

Separate "Wants" & "Needs"The wonderful thing about

homesites is that they're all unique. Every single one has its own view, elevation, slope and character. Take in all these considerations as you search. Try to separate your homesite "wants" from your "needs". An oversize lot is nice, but it comes with more landscaping costs.

Corner lots are usually bigger, but there is additional traffic associated with them. Water view homesites are limited in supply and builders will want to get a premium for them. Carefully examine all these elements as you review your choices and weigh

the cost and benefits of each premium homesite.

A Home-site Appropriate for Your Home “Plan”

As you continue to move through the home buying process, you'll eventually select a new home "plan". Once you've selected your plan, your new home sales counselor will show you the homesites for which your plan is appropriate. Big homes don't fit on small lots and very often a builder is reluctant (or even forbidden by community standards) to put a smaller floor plan on a large lot.

By now, the sales counselor should know what you want, and present you with a few options. If you have a favorite lot, and it's not in the selection they present you with, inquire if that homesite is still available or appropriate for this plan. Review all the recommended selections and then it's time to get in the car and walk each homesite.

Take Your Floor Plan into Consideration

As you approach each homesite, you should have a copy of the floor plan in your hands. You'll want the builder to mark off the corners of the foundation on the site you

exactly how your home will and show sit on this particular piece of property. From there, you can walk to your "kitchen" and survey the views you'll see each day. You'll be able to see how you back yard would lay out in reference to the rest of the home and you can evaluate the view from your bedroom window. If you're planning on putting in a pool or outdoor kitchen, make sure these are marked too so you can make a fully informed decision about this homesite. This is an exciting time, and may rush past this step but you'll never be able to fully evaluate this homesite without it. Extra time at this step will always pay off down the line.

Once you have been shown all the appropriate lots for your home, sited each one with the sale representative, reviewed the costs and benefits associated with each, you'll be able to weigh each one and make the best decision for you and your family.

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you've always wanted? Write it down. How about more privacy? Write them all down. You should add details like granite countertops, hard wood floors, ideas on kitchen detail, or luxury items like a spa tub. Don’t be shy, the only mistake you can make is leaving something important off the list.

Identify Your Why.On the right side of the paper write

"Why." Beside every want write the reason that particular element is important to you. You may want a nursery downstairs because you want to hear the baby at night. You want to live in a good school district because your oldest child starts kindergarten in the fall. Think about each thing you want and give it a reason. And sometimes, just wanting it is good enough. Writing these things down will help you crystalize each of these things in your mind. Once you've done this leave it alone for a week.

Identify the Reasons You Want to Move.Take a few pieces of blank paper and

write "Our New Home" at the top of the page. Below it write, “We're buying a new home because…” Then, fill in the blank with the reasons you've decided to move. This list will help you define what you want in a dream home. For example if you listed a new baby, it would have all sorts of factors from room size, proximity to a park or how far away grandma’s house is. But list all your reasons that you can think of, not just big life changes.

Identify Your Wants.Now that you've got your reasons for

moving, you'll list what you want in your new home. Title this list, "Things I Want in My New House." For example; would you like a bigger master bedroom, a large front yard, porch, or a big living room? Write it down. Ready for that gourmet chef's kitchen

Know your decorating style. Your ideas should have a common theme. It

can be completely unique to you, copy a picture, a place or even a home featured in a magazine. However, having a style that transposes into every room is very important. This creates a unifying bond throughout the home and will tie every room together!

Ask yourself, "How do I want this room to make me feel?"

Do you want to be comfortable and relaxed? Or would you rather the room have an energetic effect? This comes into play especially when choosing the paint colors for each room. Once you know the feel and theme of the rooms, then the design center employees will have no

When it comes time to design your new home you’ll be asked to visit the builder’s design center. A design expert will help you handpick every detail. Designing your new home is one of the most fun and exciting parts of the new home buying process. However, if you just jump into it, you could find yourself overwhelmed by your choices.

problem helping you choose the perfect color to paint your walls and furniture to help you accomplish your dream room!

Know your decorating style. Your ideas should have a common theme. It

can be completely unique to you, copy a picture, a place or even a home featured in a magazine. However, having a style that transposes into every room is very important. This creates a unifying bond throughout the home and will tie every room together!

Make sure there is a continuity of design. The furniture, as well as the color scheme,

should tie together. Not all of the rooms need to match, nor should they. However, each room

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is trendy and unique, trends change often. When choosing your cabinetry, countertops and flooring, ask yourself if what you are selecting today will be something that will still be stylish years from now. If you want to make a room trendier, think about the accessories instead! Throw pillows, area rugs and other decorative touches can add whimsy and are affordable enough to change frequently.

Design centers can feel overwhelming. However if you take the time to remember your touchstones of style, feel, color scheme and functionality, your experience will go a lot smoother. The designer will be able to help you more effectively and you will come out of the design center excited about your new home design.

should flow together naturally and have a similar style to create a unified effect. Using the same color tone can also make your home look larger while choosing multiple colors can cause it to appear smaller.

Each room should be functional. Everyone wants their home to be pretty, but

it also needs to fit its purpose. You need to take into account kids, parents, grandparents and visitors. Think of who you will be entertaining in your new home and what sort of activities will be going on. If you have young children, you aren't going to want to have white furniture and white walls. Try to anticipate how the family is going to function in the home. In a similar way, you need to think about the size of your fridge and quite areas.

Think to yourself, "Will it last?" Although it may be fun to create a room that

15.