Buying the Biggest House You Can Afford

There will almost always be a bigger house.

Another bedroom. A larger bonus room. A few hundred extra square feet.

But maximizing your pre-approval and maximizing your quality of life are not necessarily the same thing.

A larger home can also mean higher property taxes, utilities, maintenance, furnishing costs and more space to look after.

I would rather see a buyer choose the right house than simply the biggest one.

Think about how you actually live. Would you rather have another 400 square feet inside or a larger yard? Would you trade some house for a better location, shorter commute or more financial breathing room?

Square footage is only valuable when it serves a purpose.

The Home Inspection

This is one place I do not like cutting corners.

A home can show beautifully and still have things happening behind the walls, above the ceiling, inside the mechanical room or outside that are not immediately obvious during a showing.

An inspection is not about finding a perfect house. Those do not really exist.

It is about understanding the house you are buying.

What needs attention now? What might need attention later? What is normal maintenance? Is there anything significant enough that it changes the decision?

For acreage buyers, that due diligence can extend even further with wells, septic systems, outbuildings and property-specific considerations.

I would much rather have my buyers go into possession informed than surprised.

Walking the Neighbourhood

And I mean actually walking it.

Park the car. Get out. Walk around. If possible, come back at a different time of day.

You can renovate a kitchen. You can change flooring. You can paint every wall.

You cannot pick up your house and move it three streets over.

Pay attention to what everyday life might actually feel like there. How busy is the road? Where do people walk their dogs? What is behind the house? How long will your commute really be? What does the neighbourhood feel like at seven in the evening instead of eleven in the morning on showing day?

The listing tells you about the house.

Walking the neighbourhood tells you about the life around it.

Builder Upgrades

This one is not a simple yes or no.

If you are buying a new build, the upgrade list can become expensive very quickly.

My preference is to prioritize things that are difficult, disruptive or disproportionately expensive to change later.

Think structural changes, additional windows, ceiling heights, certain electrical or plumbing decisions, cabinetry layouts and anything that would require opening walls after possession.

Cosmetic items are different.

Some builder upgrades are absolutely worth doing for convenience. Others can be completed later, sometimes for less money and with more choice.

Before adding another upgrade, ask: Would this be difficult to do after possession?

If the answer is yes, give it more consideration. If it can be swapped out easily later, it may be a place to save.

A South-Facing Backyard

For the right person, absolutely.

Living in Alberta, sunlight matters.

A south-facing backyard can mean beautiful natural light and a sunny outdoor space for a significant part of the day.

But I would not automatically pay a large premium for it without considering how you actually use your yard.

Maybe you love sitting outside in the evening and west exposure matters more. Maybe you are buying an acreage and the view is far more important than the compass direction. Maybe you want shade. Maybe you garden and sunlight is everything.

The best feature is the one that fits the way you are actually going to live.