Things to disregard when house hunting

When you’re shopping for a house, it’s easy to be distracted by things that won’t make a difference in the long term. Here are a few things that you can easily disregard in your search for the perfect house.

Bad decor: don’t worry if the house has dusty pink walls or orange shag carpeting. Look past the cosmetics and make sure the house has what you need — the right number of bathrooms and good-sized rooms. Everything else can be changed.

Chic features: instead of a high-end kitchen or bathroom, look for a house that has a solid foundation with no cracks, a roof that’s in good repair and a heating and cooling system that works efficiently. Once you have all of these things, you can make the kitchen look as fabulous as your budget allows. After all, wouldn’t you rather be choosing your new kitchen counter than shopping for a furnace?

A trendy neighborhood: living within walking distance to your favorite bars and restaurants may sound like the ideal situation, but you shouldn’t buy a house based on this. Instead, find a location in a good school district — a good selling point even if you never plan on having kids.