If you're starting the search for your next home — whether that's a smaller single-level house, a condo, or a spot in a senior living community here in Washtenaw County — you've probably already made a mental list of everything you want. A first-floor primary suite. 🛏️ A walk-in shower. 🚿 A garage close to the door for those icy Michigan mornings. ❄️ Maybe a sunroom for your plants. 🌿
Here's the thing almost every buyer discovers once they actually start touring homes: no property checks every box. That's not a failure of the search — it's just how home shopping works. The real skill isn't finding the mythical perfect house. It's knowing, before you start looking, which items on your list you can't live without and which ones you'd simply enjoy having.
The National Association of REALTORS® recently put out a simple framework for sorting this out, and it's one I use with almost every client I work with on a downsizing or relocation move. It breaks your list into three categories.
📋 The Three Buckets
🚫 Deal-breakers are the non-negotiables. If a home doesn't have this, you walk away — no matter how much you love the kitchen or the neighborhood. For many of my clients this looks like: no stairs to the main living area, a bedroom and full bath on the first floor, or proximity to a specific hospital system or family member.
✅ Needs are your baseline expectations — the things that matter a lot, but that you could compromise on if the right home came along. Maybe you'd prefer a two-car garage, but you'd accept a one-car garage with good storage. Maybe you want a certain square footage, but you'd flex on that for the right lot or location.
✨ Wants are the nice-to-haves. The features that would make you smile every day, but that you wouldn't turn down a great home over. Think: a gas fireplace 🔥, a covered porch, granite countertops, or a specific paint color in the primary bedroom.
📈 Why This Matters More Than Ever Right Now
I talk often about the supply squeeze we're seeing as the oldest Baby Boomers move into their 80s — there simply aren't enough right-sized, accessible homes and senior living units to meet demand in our area. That means the "perfect" home matching every single item on your list is even less likely to show up on the market this year than it was five years ago.
Going in with a clear-eyed list — deal-breakers separated from needs, needs separated from wants — means you can move quickly and confidently when the right home does come along, instead of second-guessing yourself in the driveway.
📝 A Simple Way to Start
Before your first showing, sit down (with your family, if they're part of the decision) and sort your list into those three columns. Be honest about which items are truly deal-breakers versus habits from your current home that you've simply never had to question. A first-floor laundry might feel like a deal-breaker until you realize a stacked unit in a hall closet solves the same problem.
This exercise also makes conversations with your agent, your adult children, and anyone helping you with the move so much easier — everyone is working from the same list, with the same priorities, instead of everyone pushing for their own favorite feature.
If you'd like help building out your own needs-vs-wants list for your search here in Washtenaw County, that's exactly the kind of conversation I love having. It's often the first step toward finding a home that fits your next chapter, not just your old checklist. 💛
Source: National Association of REALTORS®, "Consumer Guide: Needs vs. Wants in a Home Purchase"
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