Buying a home of their own is something everyone aspires to do at least once in a lifetime. But getting down to the actual nitty-gritty of the process of buying can be rather stressful and nerve-racking. But don’t get disheartened as it’s not all about crazy times and there are so many thrilling and exciting moments involved too. You can finally get to have a say in what should and should not go into making your home the ideal place that you have always wanted.

As this is the biggest investment that you are ever likely to make do take your time and do a thorough research on all things related to the home you have settled on. You should check whether all the amenities needed come with your new home; more importantly, you should have an idea of the amenities that are an absolute ‘must-have’ and those that would be ‘nice to have’ as this would help keep you within your budget. To simplify matters, here is a list of amenities that you need to make sure your new home has.

• With increasing global warming and rising temperatures, it’s imperative that your new apartment should have proper cross-ventilation. Aside from the health benefits, this factor would also bring down your power bills as you would get to spend less on cooling your home. Cross-ventilation would also help get rid of cooking odors, which are pretty strong when cooking Indian food!
• The kitchen area should be well ventilated and have adequate lighting. It’s one of the most important parts of the house and proper ventilation is necessary to get rid of the smoke from cooking. Make sure that provisions have been made to account for chimney and/or exhaust fan. A spacious kitchen makes for a hygienic home.
• Make sure your bathroom comes with proper plumbing and sewage system. Good quality bathroom fittings should be used to ensure no wastage of water as well as a low need for maintenance. Do make sure that the bathrooms are not cramped cubby holes just big enough to hold the essential fittings. Gone are the days when bathrooms were just utilities as they are now places of recreational thinking also!
• As water and power are some of the most essential elements for sustaining life, do check to see if there is regular supply of both to your apartment or villa. It can get really frustrating when the water supply is erratic and you have to wake up at odd hours to store water in these modern days. A good idea would be to ask around in the local neighborhood.
• Do check if your new home is within easy travelling distance to hospitals, schools, offices and other important amenities. Also check out the type of neighborhood your apartment is located in as it could affect a peaceful, safe life.
• Lastly, make sure that there is adequate car parking available for your cars. It just wouldn’t do to have to park your car on the road every night! Also check if the access road to your building is in good condition.

If most of these amenities are available with your new home, then you seem to be on a good thing, so go ahead and purchase it!